Becoming Unbroken
by buffy46143
Summary: Complete AU Quinntana: Santana suffers a major loss causing her to go reclusive. Her friends and family want the old Santana back and take her away for the summer. It's there that she meets Quinn, a local girl who helps her find her way. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

What was the best day of her life had turned into the worst in a matter of minutes. At 3:00pm, she had hugged both of them after taking the standard cap and gown graduation picture outside of Crestview School of Architecture at the university of her father. At 3:14, she arrived at the house she had grown up in. Cars were parked all over the small suburb in Central Indiana. Her graduation open house was already underway. She parked her car, a graduation present, at a neighbor's house careful to avoid the fire hydrant that her cousin had once opened spraying a rush of water over the entire street on the hottest day of the summer several years ago. She was now getting ready to embark on a new life as an architect at her father's firm. Her boyfriend of nearly four years had planned to propose later that evening. He had already asked her father for permission. At 3:16, she walked in the front door of what was now her parent's house where her aunt, her mother's twin, met her. At 3:20, her aunt poured herself a drink while they talked about the future. At 3:21, her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number. Normally, when that happened she let it go to voicemail, but for some reason, this time, she felt the impulse to answer. The roads during an Indiana winter are slippery with black ice. The boy who also just graduated from school had already downed a few beers with his friends and decided to hop into his car and speed off to his own party. A few minutes after that, the cars were in pieces on the side of the only road leading to the house where their only daughter was waiting for them. Her aunt's drink fell from the hand holding it as if in slow motion and crashed leaving shards of glass and spilled vodka on the floor her father had tiled two years earlier. The funeral was three days later. The whole family was there. All of her friends including her cousin Noah, her roommate and best friend Rachel, and her boyfriend Evan stood behind her as the family priest read from the Bible in Spanish, a language none of her friends could understand. She sat in silence, unable to cry.

Five months went by and there were still no tears. Her cousin had gone back to Chicago with her aunt to finish up his final semester of school. Rachel had grown tired of her anti-social behavior after all this time and she wanted her best friend back and her boyfriend, who also had to return to Chicago to finish school, was now her ex-boyfriend. She never left her apartment and had taken to having the local grocery store deliver her groceries and other necessities, which they were willing to do for a small fee because they had known and loved her parents. She had no plans for the future anymore and wanted nothing other than to just be left alone. Unfortunately, her aunt wouldn't allow this new dream to come to fruition.

"Santana Lopez, open this door right now."

Santana stared through to peep hole and saw the woman who looked just like her dead mother. She did not want to open the door.

"Santana, it's time to go. If you ever answered your phone, you'd know what today is. Now, open this door before I have Noah break it down." Her aunt looked angry through the peephole.

Reluctantly, she opened the door. She didn't know that by doing so, her life would again be altered forever. In a few minutes, her aunt had Santana's bags packed and her cousin had taken to forming a Noah shaped lump on the couch. With remote in hand, he changed the channel to ESPN while Santana sat on the edge of her bed and watched her one and only aunt throw a bag of clothes into the living room.

Two hours later, Noah, Santana, and her aunt pulled up in front of a large country house on the edge of Jasper Lake. This no Starbucks town had a sign travelers pass while entering that read "Jasper Indiana Population 752 Welcome to the home of Hoosier hospitality."

Her aunt dropped Santana's bags by the front door while Noah ran inside the house. He seemed finally excited about something. Her aunt opened Santana's door as Santana was resting her head against her window.

"Get out."

"Why am I here? This place looks more boring that Indianapolis and that's saying something." Santana asked as she slowly removed herself from her aunt's overpriced, new car.

"You have been moping around your apartment far too long. Noah graduated last week and his father and I promised we'd give him one last summer of fun before he enters that real world he's been avoiding all his life. We rented this house for him and his friends; some of which are your friends and I expect you two to have a good time."

Another car pulled up behind them and Santana recognized it immediately.

"Sam has been told to keep an eye on you since I know Noah will be in a drunken stupor for the next three months. I told him he's not to let you leave this town until I come back to get you. You never got a chance to celebrate graduating a semester early because of what happened. I want you to try to do that now."

The door to Sam's car opened and Santana's ex-boyfriend got out. His eyes immediately went to hers. She quickly looked away.

"Samuel, help Santana carry her stuff into the house and you all get settled. I'm due back in Chicago later tonight. If you need anything, Noah has the credit card. Don't let him go too crazy. He's been given a limit." Her aunt quickly hugged Santana who did not hug back and she got in her car and sped off down the deserted dirt road that was the only road into the tiny town of Jasper they passed on their way to what was now Santana's home for the next three months.

"She sure makes a quick exit after she kidnaps someone." Santana remarked to no one in particular.

"Hey San." Sam offered while smiling awkwardly.

"Evan." Samuel William Evans III had gone to school with Noah and on a weekend trek to visit her cousin during their freshman year, Santana fell for him. Her aunt always called him by his given name, but all of their friends knew him as Evan because he hated the name Samuel or really because Santana didn't like the name Sam. She had dated a Sam in high school and it ended with his head between the legs of one of her friends in the limo after their prom. So, needles to say, she preferred to call this Sam something else and she chose Evan. It stuck.

Santana heard another car door open. Another guy got out of Evan's car and walked to the trunk.

"That's Kurt. He's going to be my step brother next month."

"Your mom is getting married again? Didn't her divorce get finalized like a few months ago?" Santana asked, only partially interested.

"Yup. She's known this guy for 6 months. Kurt's our age though. He hardly ever says anything, but my mom wanted me to bring him here. We're supposed to be bonding brother style. He's kind of weird if you ask me. He reads a lot of magazines and not like sports magazines, but like other magazines."

This was awkward for Santana. She had broken up with Evan two days after the funeral. She hadn't seen him since. In fact, she broke up with him via his voice mail and never returned his daily messages until finally the daily messages turned to weekly and then stopped all together.

"You guys have to check this place out. It's huge. Ev, the basement has a game room with pool, ping pong and a giant TV. Mom really had this place pimped out for us."

Three more cars pulled up behind Evan's. Kurt walked up to the house with his stuff and walked right past Noah without a word. Santana thought there was something a little off about him. His sense of style seemed a little different than most guys she knew, but she shook it off as she took in the others getting out of the cars.

Noah ran down the porch steps and over to the blonde girl getting out of her car. He immediately shoved his tongue down her throat and she didn't really seem to mind.

"His new girl of the week, Brittany. She's a dancer he met at a party." Evan explained to Santana.

"Blonde. Just his type." She looked more closely at the girl and noticed that she wasn't unattractive. She was tall and thin and her hair was long and shiny and… Santana stopped staring long enough to notice the others.

Tina and Mike were Evan's friends who subsequently became Noah's friends through their four years together at school. Tina used to be one of Santana's friends too until she thought Santana had a thing for Mike and then Tina stopped talking to her all together. Santana never had a thing for Mike. She just got along with guys easier than some girls. In fact, with the exception of her brief friendship with Tina and her longtime friendship with her roommate Rachel, Santana pretty much had only male friends. She liked it better that way. Not a lot of drama.

A few hours later, Artie showed up. He had just graduated as the salutatorian and was on his way to law school in the fall. Santana remembered when Artie used to be full of creativity and made them video everything they did. Then, his parents made him see the logical light and he went pre-law.

Noah moved himself and Brittany into the master bedroom. Evan and Kurt took the two twin beds. Tina and Mike were in the bedroom in the basement with the double bed and Artie was on the couch. Santana thought as a last addition to the group that she too would be couching it. However, when Evan was carrying her stuff to where she would be sleeping for the next three months, he didn't go up stairs or down stairs. He walked around back.

"Your aunt specifically said that you get the guesthouse all to yourself, but only because you were the only one of us who actually worked hard enough to graduate a semester early from school. She also told me that I'm not allowed to let you stay in here for three months by yourself. That's the deal. Take it or take the couch next to Artie."

"Artie snores," she stated plainly. "And it's not my fault you guys slacked while I studied."

"And the snoring is why he's on the couch and not sharing a room with anyone. This place is basically a house in and of itself, huh?" He asked while looking around at the studio like apartment. There was a kitchen with a mini refrigerator, stove, and sink, a full bath, and a dining room table next to a bed that obviously folded up into a couch if necessary. Evan dropped her stuff on the bed. "I'll let you get settled. We're taking the boat out soon. Change into your suit and join us. Puck's determined to stay on the water skis this time. I'm determined to get a tan."

"Not really feeling it today. I'm just gonna chill here."

"The deal is you get the sweet room if you socialize like a normal human being." Evan walked out backwards as he said this and shut the screen door as he exited. "Do you think I should use SPF? I mean, I want a tan, but I don't want to burn. My skin is sensitive and I don't know the sun down here."

Santana didn't answer him and he shrugged his shoulders and left still pondering whether or not to put on sunscreen. She didn't put on her bikini like she was pretty sure Evan wanted her to. She remembered why she fell for him in the first place, but also remembered why she ended it. He was a cute, fun loving guy who could make her laugh and also kind of let her do what she wanted. It was good once, but he was a part of her past life and that life was gone the day her parents died.

When she heard the gang heading down the hill leading to the dock where her aunt and uncle's boat rested, she grabbed her I-Pod and dragged herself out the door. A few minutes later, the boat was slowly leaving the dock and moving across the water. It was a cool day and Santana had wished she had grabbed a sweatshirt for when Noah sped up and the wind kicked into high gear. Evan brought his Northwestern fraternity sweater that she had worn several times even though it was against the frat guy code to let your girl wear your letters. It was sitting on a seat next to him. She could have asked him to wear it, but she decided to just be cold instead. At least then she'd feel something.

For some reason, she felt like she needed to turn her glance back toward the house that was now far behind them. It was like an impulse swept over her at the same time the wind picked up. As she turned, her long, dark hair blew into her face and she attempted to brush it away from her caramel skin. Just as she did, she noticed something. Well, she noticed someone. The impulse had directed her to the tall, blonde girl who was pushing a wheelbarrow of dirt in what was now Santana's new backyard.

"Did we forget someone?" She asked.

Puck turned around. He took his hand off the wheel and grabbed his beer.

"Oh no, that's the gardener. Mom and I met her when we came down to find a place. She's gonna take care of the place since Mom knows we won't. Her name's… I don't remember. Something weird."

Santana couldn't help but stare. She didn't know why, but something was forcing her neck to stay put and her eyes to hold their glance. After what was at least a minute, Santana's glance was met. The mysterious girl in the dirty wife beater and Capri jeans finally realized she was being stared at. Santana turned away upon being caught and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening watching Puck and his friends fall off the water skis while she listened to movie soundtracks on her I-Pod thinking about some girl she knew nothing about.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

The next morning, Santana woke up to the sounds of heavy metal music. She was surprised for a moment that Puck and his friends would be up this early until she looked at the clock next to her bed and saw the time.

"I gave you until noon. I thought that was good enough." Her cousin opened the door and jumped on the bed next to her. "How did you sleep?"

"Go away, Puckerman." Santana seethed as she lifted her blindfold all the way off her head. She didn't always sleep with it, but she liked it every once and a while. It helped her feel safer.

"We're taking the boat out again and then we're heading into town. Meet us out there in 10," He politely commanded. "By the way, Evan talked about you all night after you vacated the party. Kind of felt like old times." He stood and began to walk to the door.

"We broke up, Noah. Let it go already."

"Yeah, and no one knows why including him. You might want drop some knowledge on the guy about why after almost 4 years together, you suddenly kicked him to the curb like he never mattered."

"It's none of your fucking business, Puck." She stood up in her pajamas. She regretted allowing her aunt to pack her cow and duck pants with matching shirt.

"I know you're hurting or whatever, San, but you can't stay in your apartment forever."

"I'm here, aren't I?" She walked toward the bathroom as she was done with this conversation with the cousin who was more like a brother.

"Yeah, and you're exchanging one room for another." He left.

"Poetic, Puckerman." She sarcastically said to herself.

After a few minutes of sulking in the bathroom, Santana walked out into the screen window filled room. Three of the four walls were ceiling to floor, wide open screened windows. She had forgotten to pull the shades the night before and was now a little weirded out at the fact that someone could've been watching her sleep all night. Quickly, she went toward the nearest string and began to pull. At the same time, a head popped out of the bush in front of her. Santana jumped back.

"Oh, shit! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Santana froze. She couldn't speak. Her heart was thumping rapidly inside her chest. She was sure this stranger could hear it.

"I'm Quinn. I'm taking care of the landscape. I didn't get a chance to finish yesterday." Her long, blonde hair was pulled back and she was again wearing a white wife beater that was somewhat covered in dirt. Santana looked down and noticed that it barely covered her flat stomach. She had jean cut offs and tennis shoes with no socks. She had no make up on and didn't seem concerned with the sun that was both tanning and burning her skin apparently at the same time. Her eyes were a bright green that Santana was sure she had never seen a shade of before. "I was hired by that guy and his mom." She pointed to Noah who was holding tightly onto Brittany, who elbowed him to give her some room while looking out at the lake at everyone else boarding the boat and loading equipment and drinks.

Santana still couldn't speak. She knew she looked like a complete idiot, but she couldn't form words. She just kept staring.

"Okay… well, I'm going to get back to work. It looks like you guys are all about to head out. I'll be gone when you get back." She bent back down to the trowel she had stuck in the dirt.

"Santana." That was all she could get out at that moment.

Quinn stood back up.

"Nice to meet you, Santana. That's a nice name. I'd shake your hand, but…"

"…the screen's in the way." Santana finished her sentence.

"That and I'm wearing dirty gloves."

Santana hadn't noticed.

"Right."

Quinn had only been looking at Santana's confused face, but now looked at the whole picture.

"Nice PJ's."

"What?" Santana was again lost.

"Cows and ducks. Interesting choice."

"Santana, let's go!" The shout came from Tina who now stood behind the wheel of the luxury speedboat. Santana made it a point to try to push that girl overboard later in hopes that she'd get it in her head that she has no interest in her boyfriend.

"Looks like your friends are ready to go."

"Yeah."

Santana didn't finish the conversation. She walked out to the boat where everyone was waiting.

"You guys go ahead. I think I'm going to hang back today. Too much sun yesterday."

"San, come on. You made a deal," Evan recalled.

"Evan, you did your part. You've given me the intervention speech. Give me the damn day, alright?"

"Fine. Look, let's just go." Tina spoke again. Even though it was directed at the group and not Santana, she still felt the sting of an old friend burning her with words. Santana never had trouble getting attention from guys and sometimes it was wanted, but most times, it wasn't. She had been happy with Evan for a while before she started to pull away and consider her options. She never wanted Mike, but she was beautiful and had a sarcastic streak about her that seemed to drive the guys crazy.

And they were off. The boat did its slow pull until they reached the speed barriers. Then, it sped away and Santana was left alone. That was how she liked it these days. The former social butterfly that enjoyed a party as much as the next twenty-something, was gone the moment two cars smacked into each other. Except this time, she wasn't really alone.

She lay on the dock and listened to a play list Rachel had created for her a long time ago. Broadway songs followed by some swing music from the 40's and then some R&B mixed in for variety moved through her ears. Her eyes were closed and she was thinking about the summer she spent with her parents, her aunt and uncle, and Noah in Chicago. Her aunt and mom had grown up in northern Indiana suburbia. They were twin daughters of Mexican immigrants. Right out of high school, her mom and dad got married. No one thought it would last, but they were wrong. Her aunt attended Northwestern and that's where she met her future husband, whose family was well off. They married after graduation and Noah Puckerman was born shortly after. Santana popped out a few months later and they've all been one big happy family ever since. Well, they were one big happy family.

"_The Art of Greece and Rome: Classical Age?_ Interesting read?"

Santana heard her through the mellow song stylings of Nick Drake. She was determined not to look like a complete fool again with this girl. She opened her eyes and saw Quinn standing behind her looking at the book she had brought outside, but decided not to read.

"Yeah, it's good." Smooth. What the hell is wrong with me, she thought to herself wondering where the girl who could talk to anyone had disappeared to these days.

"I thought you all just graduated. That's what the lady that rented this place said. One last hurrah kind of a thing. What are you doing with a textbook if you're done with school?"

Santana sat and picked up the book. She rested it in her lap.

"We did. They did actually. I graduated in December."

"Overachiever?"

"Something like that. My aunt."

"What?" Quinn sat down next to Santana. The dock was at least six feet wide and there was at least a foot of space between them, but Santana felt nervous. She was rarely nervous around people.

"The woman that rented this place. She's my aunt and that spoiled brat that came along with her is my cousin, Noah. This is his man-child shindig. I was forced to come here." She didn't mean to sound so annoyed.

"I see. Didn't want to spend your last summer as a free woman tucked away in tiny Jasper, Indiana: population 754?"

"The sign said 752." Santana remembered.

"Twins last month. It was a big deal. We haven't gotten around to updating the sign. Although, it could be back down to 753. Mrs. Foster _is_ 87. Any day now."

Santana smiled. She hadn't done that in a while.

"That's horrible."

"You thought it was funny."

She was right. She was also different.

"So, why didn't you go out with your friends?"

Santana leaned back. Quinn grabbed the book from her lap and began rifling through the pages not landing on any one in particular. Santana was more focused on the fingers that had grazed her skin briefly when Quinn stole the book from her lap.

"They're not really my friends. I mean, Noah is my cousin who refuses to grow up. One of them is my ex-boyfriend who I really don't feel like spending time with and the rest of them are more acquaintances. My aunt made me come. Apparently, I was spending too much time alone and I needed to socialize with people my own age. Blah. Blah. Blah."

This was the longest conversation Santana had had since it happened.

"Well, you're only 22 once I guess."

"21. I'll be 22 in July."

"You really are an overachiever."

"Family tradition, I guess. Both of my parents graduated early." She paused, realizing that she mentioned them in the sentence. "I just took an extra class for a few semesters. No big deal."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know." She used to know. Her plan was to join her father's architecture firm in the city and create beautiful buildings. She was going to travel the world and design things that would leave her mark long after she was gone. Her father and grandfather had done it before her and even though her father tried to discourage her from it to find her own dream, he finally had to give in because this was her real dream.

"What was your major?"

"I'm not doing anything with my major." She stated it bluntly.

"Oh, okay." Quinn stopped. Somehow she knew she had hit a sore spot and she knew better than to pursue it. "Well, I should get back to work." She put the book back in Santana's lap. She slapped her thighs with her hands and stood.

"I should get back to my book." She smiled shyly this time, which she rarely did.

"Yes, it's a good one. Pay special attention to the chapter on frescos. It's my personal favorite." Quinn walked away.

Santana's smile shifted and she laughed mildly to herself. She paused when she realized that was the first time she had genuinely laughed since graduation day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

It was nearing six o'clock and the boat still hadn't returned. The lake was massive and Santana looked through her windows at the sunset over the woods across the water. She had already gone into the house and watched two movies, finished her book that was mostly pictures of buildings and monuments she'd already studied, and listened to an entire playlist on her I-Pod. Quinn had long since departed and Santana was happy for the day alone, but she had to admit to herself that the main reason she wanted to remain behind was to spend some time with the girl. She hadn't wanted to spend time with anyone in months. She also had to admit that it was nice to want to actually talk to someone again.

She remembered the town was only a mile or two down the road. So, in her Crestview T-shirt, jeans, and boots that didn't really match her look, she took off. There were several cars she could have borrowed, but she preferred to walk.

After about a half a mile, the sun was almost down and a chill swept over her. She had forgotten to bring a jacket and she wasn't sure her aunt had packed one for her in her hurry to get her out of that apartment. She folded her arms over her chest and decided to keep going. She'd rather be cold than turn back and arrive just in time for the ritual of the nightly house party. She flashed back to her partying days. She'd dance on bars and tables and sing karaoke, but actually sing it well and not like some drunk townies, but really belt. Rachel and Santana shared a love of singing. Rachel wanted to pursue it professionally. Santana wasn't sure what she wanted to do professionally anymore. She flashed forward for a minute as she walked, thinking about what it would be like to have Quinn at one of their nightly house parties. Maybe they'd just hang out while everyone partied around them or maybe Santana would get up and sing something. Hell, maybe Quinn would join in. Maybe they'd share a microphone and she'd feel her hand touch her hand and she'd get that shiver sensation again. Maybe they'd get drunk too and Quinn wouldn't be able to drive home so she'd just crash in the guesthouse with Santana. Maybe tipsy Quinn would reach out and touch tipsy Santana's face and they'd both lean in and… she stopped in her tracks.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked the deserted street around her wondering why she was thinking about kissing this girl she hardly knows.

A little while later, she made it to town. She wouldn't even call it a town. It was one street of buildings. It was a little before seven and as she passed the windows she noticed the lights inside turning off. She looked at the hours of operation signs and it looked as if the entire town shut down at seven. She saw one business that didn't seem to notice the time. She passed the diner, the farm and feed store, the mini-mart that seemed to function as the grocery store, the post office and arrived at the lit building. Clemmon's Books was open until 8. She had an hour to browse and buy nothing before she had to walk back to the house.

The bell clanged as she pushed open the glass door. The store was tiny. It wasn't like any bookstore back home. The check out counter directly to the right was not manned by an employee and there didn't seem to be any customers in the place. Santana didn't know if she should turn around. Maybe the hours of operation sign was out dated and the one police officer in town was on his way to arrest her for B&E. She was, it appeared the only brown person in this town. Puck looked tan, but not Mexican. Santana was full-on caramel colored.

"Mrs. Cramer, the clearance rack was moved next to the counter." The voice bellowed from behind aisles of books. Santana recognized it. She didn't say anything. Instead, she walked to where the sound seemed to have originated. She passed fiction, biography, history, archaeology, but she stopped at the tiny section labeled architecture. There was a book sticking out on the end of the row. Its author was someone she knew well. In the acknowledgements, he thanked his wife and his daughter Santana for all of their support and understanding.

"Architecture." The voice's owner had emerged and was standing at a doorway next to Santana.

Santana looked over and saw Quinn who was now dressed in jeans, sandals, and a Harvard T-shirt.

"What?" Santana's confusion at this person continued.

"Your major. It was architecture. You were reading an architecture book earlier and now you've stopped in the architecture section of a book store."

"Are you Nancy Drew or something?"

"I think Veronica Mars would be a more relevant pop culture reference."

Santana looked a little surprised.

"What? You don't think we have TV in these here parts?" Quinn joked in her best country twang. "We're hoping to get the GAP next spring. It'll be at the strip mall between Jasper and Warren a few towns over."

"What are you doing here?" Santana asked.

"I work here. See that counter over there?" She pointed to the check out counter with the pen in her hand. "I'm supposed to be behind it."

"Why aren't you?" Santana asked starting to feel her sassiness return after a long, grief-filled absence.

"Because this is the only place in town open past seven. Mrs. Cramer is the only person who ever comes in right at closing. I was hoping you were her coming in early to look at the clearance rack and leave without buying like she does every other week. Then, I could close up early and get back to work."

"How many jobs do you have?"

"Technically three, but I wasn't talking about a job. I'm taking an online college class. It's the closest I can get to the real thing here. I have an exam tomorrow that I really need to study for."

"If it's online, isn't it open book?" Santana leaned against the wall of books. She glanced at her father's book and stood back up. "Seems like you shouldn't waste your time studying when you can just flip through the pages and find the answers."

"The exams are at the school in Warren. I guess they don't trust us. I have to head over there at 8. The test is at 9:30 and I am going to fail."

"What's the class?"

Quinn walked through the door she was standing in front of. Santana took the few steps to see where she had gone. It was a tiny office with a desk, ten-year-old computer, and a filing cabinet. Quinn sat down in the rolling chair that looked like it had rolled a few too many times.

"It's a business class and it's a pain in my ass."

"I minored in business. Well, finance, but it is a business degree. I'm not an expert, but I could help. I took the classes because I figured I'd have a lot of money one day and I'd want to make sure whatever seedy accountant I picked out to manage my finances would know that I was watching." She didn't really know what she was saying. She had minored in finance, but it was more by accident. She got to her final semester and her advisor told her if she took one more finance class, she'd have a minor. She only needed 9 credits to graduate, but 12 to be considered a full-time student and get a better tuition rate so she added on 3 more.

"You want to help me study for an exam? Didn't you get enough of college after four years?"

"Three and a half, remember? I guess I just miss that last semester."

"That and you don't want to go home."

"That house is not my home. Besides, it's a constant party there and I don't feel like partying tonight."

"Mutually beneficial relationship." Quinn stated while putting the pen between her teeth.

"Yes." Santana responded while thinking about how cute Quinn looked holding that pen in her mouth like that.

The bell over the front door clanged again. Santana looked and saw an old lady looking around for the clearance rack.

"Give me five minutes."

Five minutes later.

"You ready?" Quinn asked as Santana was looking through her textbook to get a handle on the things she was being tested on. She had been silently hoping she hadn't oversold her business acumen.

"Yeah, I actually know most of this stuff. It's pretty easy to understand once you get through all the big words."

"I locked up. We're good to go."

"Okay. Well, do you have another chair?"

"Yeah, at my place." Quinn reached behind Santana to grab her notebook. "Bring the book, okay?" Her place? Santana gulped. Why was she nervous about going to this girl's place? When Evan asked her to go to his place all those years ago, she was cool with it. She knew she could control herself and definitely him too so if she wanted to do something she would and if she didn't, she wouldn't, but Quinn was making things a little more complicated for some reason.

And just like that, Santana was heading over to a stranger's house. She remembered everything her parents told her not to do and decided to care, but not enough to stop her from going to Quinn's house to help her study and subsequently get out of going to the house she was avoiding. Quinn turned off the lights in the front and asked Santana to turn out the office light. She did. She began walking toward the front door when Quinn stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"I thought we were going to your place."

"We are. Follow me."

Quinn walked toward the back of the store with Santana close behind, textbook in hand. They reached the back staircase. Quinn motioned with her arms that they were going up.

"I live here."

"Oh."

"Yeah, Mr. Clemmons owns the place and cuts me a break on the studio upstairs if I work nights. I used to live at home with my parents and little sister, but I'm 23. I need my own space, ya know?" Santana knew that now more than ever. That house was big, but even with the guesthouse to herself, it still felt claustrophobic.

She began to walk up the stairs and Santana hesitated for a moment before following. She took the steps carefully as if she needed to trace her steps like Hansel and Gretel. When she arrived at the top, there was no door. It was a wide-open hole that led directly into Quinn's apartment. She immediately loved it. The kitchen was directly to the left and was open complete with counter and bar stools that Quinn had obviously recycled from the local tavern that Santana was guessing had to exist in a town like this. What else is there to do after a long day on the farm? It had been decorated with old Coke bottles along the lip near the ceiling and there was a definite 50's vibe to the space. Directly to the right was the living room. It had a totally different feel. Quinn had used the long, back wall filled with bookshelves as storage. Some shelves had books on them, but the rest didn't seem there for decoration or to show off her belongings like most people might have. There were clothes stacked neatly on most of the shelves. Santana noted the organization of everything. She liked that Quinn seemed to be a neat freak. She was generally a little on the slob side and felt she needed someone to help organize her life instead of contribute to the mess like Evan had. The couch was more modern looking. The deep green tone matched the deep green of the comfy chair, but Santana could tell the furniture was not bought at the same time.

"Let me give you the tour," Quinn chimed in as she watched Santana's head turn toward the different spaces that didn't qualify as rooms since it was technically one giant room. Santana continued her glance toward the living room. The TV looked like it was from the 80's and possibly was just there for show and didn't actually work.

"It works well actually," Quinn had followed Santana's eyes toward the set and the rabbit ears on top. "I don't watch much TV, but it works when I need it too."

"I imagine with three jobs, it's kind of hard to keep up with your favorite shows."

"True. The bathroom is back through there." She motioned to the one door in the whole place that was on the back wall next to the shelves. Quinn motioned to the bedroom that was next to the kitchen. "That's where I sleep."

Santana walked over to where she pointed. The bed had quilt on top of quilt on top of quilt and about 15 pillows on top. Santana decided to disregard this. There seemed to be a quilt and pillow for just about every year of Quinn's life. At least the bed was made. Next to the bed was a tiny table holding her alarm clock and a stained-glass style lamp. There was a dresser on the wall with a window. There were pictures of Quinn and what Santana guessed to be her family. She wanted to look closer, but Quinn walked over next to her.

"Something to drink? I have water, water, and coffee."

"Water and coffee," Santana replied.

"Demanding," Quinn joked.

She walked away to the kitchen. Santana noticed a happy family in the pictures. Two loving parents and three exuberant kids. Quinn appeared to be the oldest. Her brother not much younger and then a sister that looked just like Quinn, but a little younger than her brother.

"Where's my water, woman?" Santana jokingly asked as she eyed Quinn standing next to her old style coffee maker waiting for the pot to fill.

"I'm waiting on your damn coffee. You can get a bottle from the fridge if you want."

"I can wait, I guess." Santana sat down on the sofa and laughed to herself at the way Quinn reacted to her water demand. She liked that they could go back and forth like that.

A few minutes later, Quinn sat down with her own cup of coffee and Santana's was resting on the table in front of them cooling off.

"Okay. Teach me business stuff. Jasper High had an economics class, but it was taught by the football coach who is also a deputy sheriff so I didn't exactly listen when he talked in class. Quinn leaned in and took a sip of her coffee. Santana watched as she put the cup to her lips and then withdrew it and set it on the table before picking up her textbook. It was as if each step in that brief process was going in slow motion in Santana's brain. She found herself staring at the different parts of Quinn's face and her arms as they stretched over her head after setting the book in her lap. She could picture Quinn lying beneath her on that same sofa and staring into her eyes and leaning in to kiss her while her hands roamed over her body. "Um… Santana? You with me?"

"What?" Santana snapped out of her dirty thought. "Yeah, I'm here. Sorry. Business stuff. Let's do it."

It was hours later when Quinn finally closed her book and notebook for the night. It was nearing midnight and Santana was dreading the walk back to the house.

"Well, I should probably be going." She didn't know why she said that.

"I guess it is getting late." Quinn stretched her arms over her head yet again and yawned. Santana smiled at the sight.

"Big test tomorrow and all that. Need your beauty sleep." No she didn't. She was gorgeous.

"I'm shooting for at least a B."

"Please, with the work I put in tonight, you better ace that bitch!"

Quinn stood with her empty coffee cup in hand and smiled. They had spent a lot of time studying, but also a lot of time just talking. Quinn told Santana about her early days playing soccer and her dream of being Mia Hamm. Santana just listened and replied. She didn't reveal much about herself. Quinn didn't seem to notice and not in the 'she just talked so much about herself that she didn't have time to realize Santana wasn't divulging information about herself' kind of way, but in the 'she recognized that Santana didn't want to talk about herself' kind of way. So, she filled in the silence with random facts about her upbringing in Jasper.

"I've got to unlock the door downstairs and then I'll walk you to your car. The mean streets of Jasper can be pretty dangerous at night," she offered sarcastically.

"I didn't drive. Besides, I think the people in this town are much more afraid of me than I am of them." Santana stood. She set her coffee on the coffee table that was covered in travel magazines. They hadn't yet talked about those. She motioned to her face alluding to her skin tone that made her stand out in a place like Jasper.

"You walked all the way here?"

"It's not that far." Santana defended her dumb decision to walk through a practically deserted town at dusk. "I was a cheerleader. I've had warm-ups last longer than that walk."

"Have you ever seen any horror movie… ever?"

"Alright, so it wasn't the smartest decision I've ever made." She stopped defending herself.

"I'll drive you home. My dad's truck is at the shop. You were a cheerleader too? When I stopped playing soccer because I was terrible, I started cheering. There were only 3 other girls on the squad and we weren't exactly _Bring it On_ material or anything, but it was fun."

During their earlier conversation, Quinn told Santana that her family owns the town hardware store. That was her third job. They did landscaping on the side. Santana stopped thinking about landscaping for a moment to consider what Quinn would have looked like in her cheerleading uniform.

Fifteen minutes later, Santana was shutting the door to Quinn's father's old, blue pick-up truck. The window was rolled down. She stretched her arms across it and rested her chin on them.

"Thanks for keeping me occupied tonight. I know it was mostly lame, nerd stuff, but I had fun." She told Quinn.

"Yeah, me too." Quinn paused. "Hey, what are you doing tomorrow or I guess technically today?" She said after glancing at the time on the dash that told her it was already the next day.

Santana lifted her head and motioned to the barely visible boat in the darkness.

"You wanna come to Warren with me instead?"

"I think they'll notice if I take your test for you. We're not exactly twins, you and I."

"Funny. That's not what I had in mind. There's something I think you'd want to see. My test will only take an hour."

"Will we be gone all day?" Santana asked hopefully.

"We can be. My sister watches the store on my test days."

"Okay, I'm in."

"I'll pick you up."

"Santana, where were you?" Evan walked out the front door and toward Quinn's car.

"Here comes the shit storm." Santana took a step away from the truck.

"I kept calling your cell until I finally heard it ringing in the guesthouse. Why is your ringtone _Since You've Been Gone_?" Santana shrugged off his question. He was standing next to her. His blonde hair blew up with the wind and he ran his hand through it in an attempt to clean it up, but also because he did that to look cool.

"I left it here. My bad." She motioned to Quinn. "Evan, this is Quinn. Quinn this is Samuel William Evans III." She used his full name just to annoy him.

"Nice to meet you, Samuel."

"Evan. Nice to meet you too. You're the gardener, right?" He didn't mean to sound like a spoiled, rich kid, but he did.

"Evan, don't be an ass." Santana had always called Evan on his b.s. before. She figured there was no reason to stop now.

"I didn't mean it like that. Sorry. I like gardening."

"It's okay. I _am_ a gardener. Look, I need to get back home. I need to get some sleep before tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

"Night," Quinn said mostly to Santana, but Evan waved too as she drove off.

"Where did you go and how did you end up with the gardener?"

"I went for a walk to town and she was there. We talked for a while and she drove me home. Chill down, crazy town. I am an adult. I don't need a babysitter."

"You hung out with a stranger instead of us?" He seemed hurt. Santana didn't feel bad.

"Ev, I don't feel like partying every night and boating every day. I didn't even want to come here. I was kidnapped by my family, shoved me in a car and driven to the middle of nowhere. I can't even get a cappuccino in this town unless I milk the damn cow and make it myself. So, if I met someone who I like spending time with who doesn't remind me of everything wrong in my life, why are you giving me such a hard time?" Santana was angry. Evan never used to be like this. The moment her parents died, he went into overprotective mode and after only a few days, she couldn't take it anymore.

"What am I supposed to tell your aunt when she calls me to ask how you're doing?"

Santana began to walk toward the guesthouse. She didn't turn toward Evan when she said, "Tell her I made a new friend and she should really get a life like she's forcing me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"Well, I definitely succeeded," Quinn proclaimed as she approached Santana who was sitting on the lawn outside of the building Quinn took her test in.

"That easy?"

"I don't think it would have been without your help last night." Quinn sat down next to her in the grass.

"Well, I am fabulous." Santana lay back in the grass with her hands behind her head. She hadn't made a comment like that since before it happened. She'd been wandering around her life like a zombie and this comment about her own fabulousness was something new and old at the same time. She smiled as she closed her eyes to avoid the gleaming sun. Quinn stared down at her.

"You seem happier than I am about it." She lay down next to her and mimicked her position.

"Yeah, well I guess it's just nice to be away from the locos I'm living with these days. It's just been a rough few months and…" She stopped and squeezed her eyes closed further.

Quinn recognized the pause. She decided to probe a little bit, "What's made it so rough?" Santana wasn't ready. She opened her eyes and stared directly at the sun. After a few seconds of blinding herself, she squeezed her eyes shut again as tightly as she could. Quinn took the hint. "Hey, let's go. Get ready. I have somewhere I want to take you."

"As long as it's not back to that frat house, I am ready."

They drove through downtown Warren, which was a thriving metropolis compared to Jasper, but it still wasn't a big city by any stretch of the imagination. Santana stared out the window as Quinn drove. They both seemed to be content with the silence. Santana remembered all the times with Evan when she just wanted to remain in comfortable silence, but he always had to fill it with sound. Sometimes it would be a random comment and other times, he would crunch on his food loudly or tap the remote control on the table. He always had to be making some kind of noise. It was one of the things Santana found endearing when they first started dating, like he was nervous around her all the time or something, but later it became one of the things she hated, but figured she'd have to deal with. On the right, Santana saw what she knew Quinn had brought her here for. It was a massive cathedral.

"My dad brought me here once with my brother Kaleb when we were little. He said that if God existed anyplace, it had to be here. He believes there's something or someone out there guiding us. I come here every so often when I need a confidence boost in that belief. I thought you might like it."

"Do you believe in God?" Santana asked while staring up at the amazing structure. She had spent an entire semester on cathedrals of the Renaissance.

"I don't go to church on Sunday like the rest of the town mostly because I'm usually working, but I guess I believe what my dad believes. The world is too crazy for me to just believe in coincidence. I mean look at you and me. A few days ago, you didn't even know Jasper Lake or I existed. Your aunt packs your bags and drives you down and now we're here. Is that coincidence?"

"It could be or it could be fate or destiny or some other crap like that. It doesn't have to be God." Santana had been raised Catholic and _had_ gone to church every Sunday. That changed when she got to college and her trips to church became fewer and further between without her devout family nagging her to come along. She stopped going all together after they died. She was happy to know that Quinn was not a Bible thumping, born again Christian because she couldn't conceive a world where God would take both of her parents on the same day for no reason and she was really starting to like this girl and was afraid that if she got all preachy about Jesus loving everyone, she'd annoy the hell out of her.

"I think God is just a name people give fate. If you think about it, they're both kind of the same thing; a guiding force you either have faith in or you don't. I guess I just like believing in something." Quinn had a point, but Santana wasn't about to just start believing again in whatever people called it.

"I don't know what I believe anymore."

Quinn opened her door. Santana waited a second and then did the same. They spent the rest of the morning exploring the cathedral. Santana explained the significance of the stained glass, wooden carvings, and just about every other element of the building. Quinn listened intently and remarked when she thought she wouldn't sound like a complete idiot. Sometimes Santana caught her staring at her while she rambled. She'd stop rambling for a second and smile. Then, she'd start up again.

"You really love this stuff, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I do." Santana replied, surprised a little at how with a few months of not thinking about architecture, she was still able to recite this stuff from memory and how much she enjoyed sharing that with Quinn.

"You know, I've read just about every book on the shelves at that book store, but none of the ones on architecture I've read explained these things like you're explaining them." Quinn explained.

"The books probably lack my incoherent rambling."

"No. The books lack your passion."

Quinn moved away from Santana and toward a window with the picture of the crucifixion.

"My mom's religious."

"Yeah?"

"There's a story with that statement. You want it?"

Santana looked around. The cathedral was still empty. They were being relatively quiet, but she wanted to make sure no one had entered prepared for time with the Lord and got two girls getting to know each other better instead.

"Can I hear it over lunch?" She asked hoping the blonde wouldn't mind spending a little more time with her and not in a church where her dirty thoughts about her were making her feel even dirtier.

They sat across from one another at a chain restaurant. Santana felt comfortable here. She ordered food she knew she'd like and snacked on the bread while Quinn told her the story of how her parents met.

"Have you seen any horses or buggies around yet?"

"What? No." Horses and buggies? What was this girl talking about?

"Well, you will. We have a high Amish population in the area. Mostly, they stick to their way of life and we stick to ours, but the sect that lives in Jasper is extremely devout. They're not even supposed to talk to or acknowledge us."

"I don't know how they live like that. I couldn't imagine my life without my IPod or my hair dryer."

"You'd be surprised what you can live without especially when you never had it to begin with. Anyway, when one of their members turns 16, they have to go on a faith quest or rumspringa."

"What the hell is that?"

"They're given money and taken into the city. In this case, they're taken to Cincinnati. It's closer than Indianapolis. They're told to stay in the modern world for two weeks. When they return, they choose whether or not to remain in the community. Usually, they return and everything goes as planned. They cement their faith and continue in the church for the rest of their lives. Marry, have kids, that whole thing."

"Usually?"

The waitress came over and brought Quinn a refill. Santana began toying with the straw in her own glass. Normally, she would be bored by now listening to someone talk about family history. Quinn was different though. She could swear that she could listen to this girl talk about anything all day and she'd be able to remember every word.

"My mother was 16 when they gave her three hundred bucks and a train ticket. When she got there, she didn't even know what a hotel looked like. She was told to take a cab into the city. They gave her the name of a hotel they had used before and that was it. She was on her own."

"Your mom is Amish?"

"She was. When she got out of the cab, a basketball rolled up and hit the tire. She picked it up and handed it over to the guy who was rushing to it. After she freaked out a little about this guy running toward the car, she handed it over to him. A few minutes later, my parents were in love. My dad showed her the city for two weeks and when she was set to return, she had to make a decision. She chose him."

"She loved him that much after two weeks? Doubt it." Santana had never experienced love like that. She liked Evan immediately, but in the sense that he was new and interesting. She didn't know for sure that it was love until months later. At that time in her life, she was pledging a sorority, partying a lot and well, she was sleeping around. She focused on school enough, but she had never been a person who needed to study so her grades were always good no matter how much sleep she got after spending the night in some guy's room. When she met Evan on her trip to visit her cousin, that all ended. Sure, Noah and Evan partied. That part didn't stop all together, but they spent less and less time at parties and more and more time on dates and trying to make a long-distance thing work. There were a few Greek parties where she had gotten a little tipsy and thought about the guy flirting with her and maybe doing something, but not to the degree where she'd actually ever do it. She loved Evan by then and she did see a future with him and didn't want to mess that up. He was her first real boyfriend. In high school, she'd bounced from guy to guy and never wanted to get tied down to anyone. She might have called them boyfriends, but they were never really serious. Evan changed that for her until suddenly she was a senior in college and she realized that she no longer saw that future with him. They'd navigated the long-distance thing for years, but the summer before their last year of school, Evan lived with her in the apartment she shared with Rachel. Waking up to him every single day was nice at first until she started to think that it's not really that nice. They'd basically stopped having sex and when he tried to initiate it, she'd fake a headache or say she was tired. She was growing tired of him not cleaning the sink after he shaved or not putting the seat down. How had she not seen all this stuff before? They'd been together forever and they were supposed to be together forever, right? The spark was gone and not only was she unsure it would return, she wasn't sure she wanted it to. Her thoughts had drifted, but her focus was still very much on the girl sitting in front of her wearing sunglasses on her head, which pushed her long, blonde hair behind her ears.

"She says she loved him that much after two minutes. She returned to the community and explained her situation to the elders. There's no dating anyone outside of the community. Soon after, my father packed his bags and moved to Jasper. My mom was shunned. She hasn't spoken to anyone in her family since." There was a spark in Quinn's eyes when she talked about her parents. It was sad for Santana, but only for a moment because she saw in Quinn what she had seen in herself.

"Why did they stay here? Why not move away? Wouldn't it suck to stay here after all that?" She stopped playing with her straw and reached for the saltshaker instead. She didn't need it. She just wanted something to hold onto. She started sliding it back and forth between her hands. Playing with things like this was something she did to help keep her focus. It was like a way of reminding her brain that she should be paying attention to the person talking. Most people didn't take it that way. They thought she wasn't listening because she was fidgeting, but the fidgeting was something she did to force her thoughts to remain present. It took her a moment to realize though that she didn't need to fidget. Her brain was staying focused on the now and on Quinn who was about to respond to her question so she slid the saltshaker back to the caddy on the table and put her hands in her lap.

"My dad knew not talking to her family was hard enough. He thought at least living nearby would make it easier."

"I would think it would make it harder. Being that close, but not being able to talk to them or anything. I know if it were my parents, I'd-" She stopped herself again. She was about to change the subject when she saw Quinn squint her eyes and seem to understand that Santana wasn't going to finish her thought.

"It was hard for a while, but my mom's glad they stayed. She sees her parents passing through town and she says it makes her feel safe. They don't talk, but every now and then when she sees them, she sees her mom smile at her or nod. Even that's frowned upon, so my mom knows she really means it."

"That really is a good story." She thought about asking Quinn to tell her another story. It could have been about anything. Paint drying on the wall or town history. She didn't care. She just knew that she wanted Quinn to keep talking. Her voice was intoxicating. It had this deep, raspy quality to it like perhaps she had smoked as a teenager and stopped, but consequences of it left the sound from her vocal chords forever charred.

Santana had always been one to carry conversations. She was the one people turned to for topics or sarcasm or witty banter. She'd lost that a while ago, but there was something about Quinn that made her feel like she didn't have to always come prepared with something to talk about. The food arrived at the table. Santana looked down at her burger and was suddenly very hungry. She had skipped breakfast and realized in that moment that the reason she had decided not to eat anything was because she was worried about the ride with Quinn that she thought she might have a nervous stomach.

"So, when I think about what matters in the world, I think about my family. I think about the love my mother has for my father and vice versa. It gives me hope, ya know?"

Santana bit into her burger. She hadn't had hope in a long time. She didn't want to bring down the moment.

When they finally arrived back at the house, it was nearing sunset. The gang was still out on the boat so Santana invited Quinn to watch the sunset with her on the dock. They sat and stared as the sky turned from blue to orange and pink.

"So, why has it been a rough few months?" Turns out Quinn didn't let it go.

Santana didn't know how to answer. She was enjoying the fact that there was someone she could talk to that didn't know about her parents. She didn't want Quinn to suddenly start treating her differently. They always say it's easier to talk to a stranger about something hard than the people you're closest with, but she wanted to keep Quinn away from her tragedy for as long as she could.

"Evan and I broke up. It's just awkward now."

"How long were the two of you together?" Quinn kicked the wind above the water.

"Since freshman year. We broke up a few months ago."

"Wow! That's a long time."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Why did you break up?"

"A lot of reasons, but the biggest is that I just needed to be alone for a while. The last time I was single, I was eighteen. Plus, during the last six months we were together, I realized I wasn't in love with him anymore."

"Six months?"

"I kept trying to talk myself into staying with him. He really is a good guy. He's just not who I'm supposed to be with. I can't really explain it. It got to a point where just the sound of him chewing at dinner was enough to push me over the edge and snap. I'd usually yell at him in Spanish and when he'd say he didn't know what I was saying, I'd make up something in English that was much nicer than what I really said. I was able to hold it in for a while, but then I figured out that I couldn't keep it up forever. I realize there's an inappropriate sex joke in there the way I said that."

"I'll let it go." Quinn replied with a smile. "And I get it."

"The joke? I would hope so unless you guys really are that repressed around here." Another joke. Where was this stuff coming from? It had been so difficult to form sentences of any kind and now all the sudden she was joking with a girl who had a small scar behind her earlobe in the shape of a half-moon. She wondered how it got there, but before she could really consider it, she quickly looked away after she realized she'd been staring at it for too long.

"There were 13 people in my graduating class. My friend Finn was one of them. We never dated in high school because everyone kept telling us we were going to end up together. It was like we were determined to defy them. When we turned 19, we suddenly realized…"

"…that you were meant for each other." It hurt Santana to say that.

"No. We realized we were each other's only option. If we were going to date anyone, it might as well be a friend. We were together until we were about 21. We broke up when a new family moved to town and Finn wanted to date their daughter. They left town after about a year and we got back together. I broke up with him about a year ago. This time for good."

"You don't think you'll get back together?"

"Sometimes I think he wants too, but really only because he's out of options. Most of the kids in our class left this place the moment the caps flew into the air. He and I are kind of stuck here at least for now. He has to help his uncle with the farm. His dad died when he was very young. His uncle took on the farm to help Finn's mom."

"So, you don't love him?" Santana ignored the rest of Quinn's story and sounded hopeful in her question, but hoped that Quinn hadn't noticed.

"I love him. I just don't love him like that. Everyone still says we'll be married in a couple of years, but I don't think I should have to settle just because everyone says we belong together."

"I understand. Puckerman still thinks he's going to be Evan's best man for our wedding."

"So, you don't see Evan standing next to you at the altar?"

"I don't even see the altar."

The boat had begun its slow descent on the dock. Santana stood and Quinn took her cue.

"San, tie us off, will ya?" Noah asked.

Santana grabbed the rope as he tossed it to the dock and wrapped it until it was taut. Tina and Brittany jumped off the boat and headed toward the house. Mike followed with what Santana suspected was an empty cooler. Evan jumped off and walked toward the two girls.

"Hey Quinn," He offered while staring at Santana.

"Hey."

This was awkward.

Noah jumped down and checked to see that Brittany was out of earshot.

"Quinn, right?" He knew her name, but was attempting to appear aloof.

'Yeah," Quinn smiled a little and looked at Santana who rolled her eyes at her idiot cousin.

"I was thinking that maybe you'd want to head back out with me. See the sunset together on the water?"

"I'm sure your girlfriend would like that," Quinn replied sarcastically.

"Brittany's not my girlfriend. We have an open relationship. I can be with who I want and she can be with who she wants."

"It seems that would work a lot better if _I_ actually wanted to be with _you_."

Santana laughed. Noah knew he was defeated and he called after Brittany. Santana could hear her cell phone ringing through the open windows in the guesthouse. She had left it behind again so that Evan's inevitable calls wouldn't bug her all day.

"I should get that. It's probably my tyrant of an aunt." She jogged up the little hill and headed inside.

Evan and Quinn stood in silence for a moment until Evan finally decided to speak.

"So, you and San have been spending a lot of time together. She's managed to avoid just about every activity here."

"She really helped me out last night. I had a test this morning that I would have failed without her."

"Did she tell you why her aunt dragged her down here?"

"Yeah," Quinn stated confidently remembering that this was Noah's last rocking summer and Santana was here to keep her cousin in check.

"Then you know that since her parents died, she hasn't left her apartment and this summer she's supposed to be socializing with her friends again."

Santana hadn't told her the real reason she was in Jasper, but Quinn didn't feel betrayed or lied to. Instead, she felt even more connected to the girl she barely knew.

"Santana seems to be doing just fine on her own. Maybe you should just let her decide how she wants to spend her summer even if it is just with the local gardener."

Quinn walked up toward the guesthouse. Santana was just finishing up her conversation with her aunt where she had to explain herself.

"Hey, what are you doing for dinner tonight?" Quinn asked as Santana tossed her phone on the couch bed and opened the door for Quinn to enter.

"Probably hot dogs or something else fatty and gross. I'm gonna have to run 10 miles a day to keep up with this food. Why?"

Quinn looked over at Evan who was staring at the two of them standing in the see through room.

"It's family dinner night. My dad grills and my mom makes way too much food. My sister doesn't shut up about how much she hates Jasper and how she's moving to L.A. as soon as she graduates. It's always a big ordeal. You should come."

"You want me to come to your family dinner?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't invite you if I was cooking. I like it, but I'm not sure I'm really that good at it, but my parents actually know what they're doing."

"San, you coming inside?" Evan had walked to the door.

"Yeah, in a minute. Relax Ev."

"What time is dinner?" She asked Quinn.

"In about an hour."

"I'll be there."

"Good. I'll pick you up. I don't want you walking again."

"Okay." Santana responded.

"I'll take her over." Evan had opened the door and entered without Santana or Quinn noticing.

"It's cool, Ev." Santana really didn't want to get into a car with Evan especially since he seemed to disapprove of her newfound friendship.

"It doesn't make sense for you to come all the way back here to get her and then turn right around and bring her back later. I'll bring her over in an hour."

And with that, he turned and was on his way back to the main house.

"Are you okay with that?" Quinn asked, knowing that Santana felt awkward around Evan these days.

"Yeah, I can handle him." She was confident in the fact that she could handle Evan and his attitude that was a recent development. She could've just asked to borrow his car or even one of the other cars in the driveway, but it wasn't worth the fight. Plus, she needed the time to get ready. She had less than an hour and wanted to look good when she met Quinn's parents for the first time.

Quinn gave Santana the brief directions to their ranch that was just off of the main drag. She drove off in her dad's truck and Santana immediately began recklessly pulling clothes out of the bags her aunt had packed for her. She wished that she had bothered to hang things up. Everything had wrinkled in the few days she'd left them bundled up inside the duffle bags. She eventually decided on a red fitted shirt that Evan once said looked really good on her and some skinny jeans that accentuated her curves without being too flashy. She wanted to look good for the dinner with Quinn's family, but she also knew it would drive Evan nuts that she was wearing that shirt and it wasn't for him.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

They drove down the dirt road leading into town in silence. Now, the guy finally shuts up. Where was his off switch the entire time they were dating? The radio in Evan's car worked much better than the one in Quinn's old truck, but it was only picking up one country station. Evan loved country music, but Santana hated it so it was turned off, which made the short drive even more unbearable. When Santana could tell they were getting close, she decided to say something she'd wanted to say since Evan first scolded her for not hanging out with the group.

"You know it's hard for me, right? You do know that?" She stated and asked. At least if they were close to the house, the conversation couldn't go too far.

"It's hard for me too, San. Seeing you again after five months."

"That's not what I meant," She replied defensively. Evan thought she was referring to the discomfort of being around him, but she was talking about being around everyone. "Seeing you again is… awkward, but seeing the whole group again is like going back in time for me. We all used to hang out. You, me, and Puck and his girl of the week used to spend our weekends and vacations together. Mike, Tina and Artie joined us later. All of us being back together just reminds me of how things used to be… when my parents were… around."

Evan stopped his car in front of a ranch style house that Santana guessed was built during the 60's by its size and general structure.

"I get what you're saying and I'm sorry if seeing everyone is hard for you, but is seeing me again really just awkward? Am I like this minor annoyance in your life now?" Now he was defensive.

"No, Evan-"

"Seriously San, we were together for almost four years and then out of nowhere, you leave me a Dear Jack voice mail. What the hell is that?"

"Dear John and now really isn't the time for this. I just wanted to let you know it's hard-"

"When is the time then? Your parents died and I wanted to be there for you and you just bailed. You escaped into your apartment, you never let me in, and you never returned my calls. I was your boyfriend. You needed me and I wasn't able to help you. It's like your parents died and you shut me out. Did you break up with me because it was like going back in time?"

"It was over way before that." If he wants the old Santana, he's going to get it. Brutal honesty included.

"What are you talking about?"

"It wasn't because they died. It was over a long time before that. I just always thought we'd work through it and when my parents died, I realized I didn't want to work through it. I couldn't see us together anymore. It started when you stayed for the summer. Didn't you notice that we barely even touched each other and I screamed at you like all the time? Once in Spanish, I told you that you clipping your toe nails on the coffee table was the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen and that included the time I had to watch Rachel projectile vomit up Spaghettios after she discovered they weren't vegan. I had to hire a cleaning crew to steam clean the carpet and your toe nails flying into the air while I watched _Clueless_ on TV still topped my list of disgusting things."

Evan just stared out the windshield into the darkness that was only highlighted by the headlights.

"I bought a ring, ya know?"

"What?" Santana turned her stare from the house to Evan's vacant expression.

"A week before you graduated, Puck and I picked out a ring. I called your dad and asked for his blessing. I had the proposal all planned out for your graduation party. I knew you never wanted a big thing, but I still wanted to make it special. When you got to the party, I had already been there for hours setting up the house so your parents could go to your graduation. I didn't go because I was so nervous I'd let out my secret while we were taking pictures or something. I saw you walk into the room and I thought, 'this is the girl I'm going to spend the rest of my life with,' and I smiled. I've been in love with you since you spilled your drink on Puck at that party and refused to apologize for it because he deserved it for hitting on two sisters right in front of each other. I thought 'this girl will keep me on my toes' and I wanted to know more," he paused, "You'll notice I didn't use the past tense when I said I've loved you. If you need this time to be on your own, I guess I'll just have to understand, but-"

She couldn't let him finish that sentence, "Don't. I didn't know about the ring. I didn't know about the proposal. I'm sorry I went radio silent for a while, but I've known for a long time that…" she paused too, thinking carefully about how she wanted to phrase the following, "I'm not in love with you anymore. I was hoping we would never have to have this conversation, but you need to understand that it's not that I need this time to myself and eventually we'll get back together. I don't want to get back together. I want to move on and I want you to do the same. I'm sorry."

She opened the door and watched as Evan's stare shifted to look out the driver's side window. He couldn't even look at her nor could he speak. She knew she had hurt him worse than she had hurt anyone, but she wanted him to stop thinking he had a chance with her someday. She was trying to give him a chance to let go and find someone else. She walked away and the car sped off. She was pretty sure he wasn't coming back to get her later. Up the short staircase, she walked and she noted the ramp that was beside it. The door opened without her having to knock.

"Hey, I saw you two talking out there for a while. Everything okay?" Quinn wasn't in her normal wife beater and cut offs. She was wearing jeans and a shirt that yet again didn't manage to cover her entire stomach. Her long, straight, blonde hair was down for the first time. Santana noticed finally that she had bangs that were swept to the left of her forehead.

"Yeah, it's fine. He's just… he still wants to… and I don't. We just had this conversation and I think he both hates and loves me right now. If that's possible."

"I'm guessing it's mostly love."

"I don't want him to think there's a possibility. I don't want him waiting around for me. I don't want to be an bitch, but I need him to understand that it's over."

"You don't have to explain it to me. I already understand. Why don't you come inside and avoid thinking about the whole thing?"

She did just that. Quinn's mother looked like an older version of Quinn. She was wearing an apron around her waist that she removed when introduced to Santana. Quinn's little sister Beth looked like a younger version of both of them and just as Quinn predicted spent much of the night talking about L.A. and hounded Santana about the trip she had taken there when she was in high school. Quinn's father was already sitting at the picnic table outside on the deck where they ate their grilled catfish, corn on the cob, salad, and baked potatoes. They ate under the stars on the warm night, but Santana could feel the chill setting in. Eating dinner with Quinn's family was both amazing and heart wrenching for her. She loved seeing a family laugh and tell stories of how Quinn couldn't say Kaleb when they were toddlers. So, she called her brother Leb instead. She also noticed that Kaleb was missing from family dinner night. She didn't think to ask why. After they finished, Quinn's mom picked up her plate and took it into the kitchen. Beth went to her bedroom where Santana guessed she was either reading Teen People or watching E!

"We usually watch an old movie in the living room. You in?" Quinn asked as she took their plates into the kitchen. Santana nodded yes in reply.

She stood and grabbed two bowls to take in with her.

"Oh no, young lady. You're our guest. Allow me," Quinn's father emerged from behind the table and rolled his wheel chair over to Santana. He put his hands out to take the bowls and she handed them over. He rested them on his lap and moved inside. The entire evening, she had failed to notice that he was in a wheel chair. Her focus had been on Quinn most of the dinner; her face, her hands, the line of freckles she had dotting her left arm. She wanted to know why he was in the chair, but didn't want to ask and put a damper on everyone's good mood.

Santana and Quinn sat on the love seat while Quinn's mother finished up the dishes. Santana noticed there were quilts laying over both the couch and loveseat.

"I hate quilts, but my mom loves them. She makes me one every year for my birthday and I get a pillow every Christmas. I think it's a reminder of her youth. From what she's told us, her mom quilts and taught her when she was really young. I put them on my bed like a good little daughter. Beth folds hers up and hides them in her closet."

They watched an old horror movie while snacking on popcorn and drinking lemonade. Her mother sat on the edge of the couch. Her father sat in his chair next to her. Santana watched periodically how they held hands throughout and occasionally exchanged glances with a smile. Then, she realized that she had been occasionally exchanging glances and smiles with Quinn, who was sitting rather close. Santana was nearest to the TV and Quinn was sitting with her knees on the loveseat facing her. In fact, they were touching Santana's thigh. Quinn's arm was holding up her head and resting on the top of the loveseat. Santana could sometimes feel her breath on her shoulder. Her heart continued to beat rapidly during the whole film and not just during the scary parts. She had no idea what was going on inside her, but she seemed to finally be feeling something real and she didn't want it to go away. After the movie was over, Quinn offered to drive her back to the house, but because Evan was just that guy, he was already waiting in the driveway staring vacantly out the windshield. It was as if he had never left that spot. Quinn's parents thanked her for coming and told her to return anytime. They really seemed to like her. She was happy about that. Quinn ran back to her old room for something while they were saying their good nights. Her parents went back into the living room as Quinn arrived at the door with a zip up hoodie.

"Thought you might need this." Quinn placed the sweatshirt over Santana's shoulders. Santana put her arms through the sleeves and Quinn reached forward for the zipper. She slowly pulled it upward. "It can get pretty cold here at night." She stopped when she reached the top. She hesitated before pulling her hands away. She grabbed the bottom of the hoodie near the pockets and pulled down. "Everything's going to be okay, ya know?"

"I don't know why, but I believe you." They were standing very close to one another and Quinn's hands were still grasping the sweater.

"I have a believable face, I guess." She removed her hands and opened the door. Santana took a few steps out. She continued to stare in Quinn's direction.

"Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Do you wanna see me tomorrow?" She folded her arms over her chest.

"Well, it's either hang with you or the ex-boyfriend who still wants me. You do the math." She turned to make sure Evan couldn't hear.

"The store's closed on Sundays, but I have to do the monthly inventory. It usually takes most of the day, but if you can tolerate the morning and afternoon with the gang, my evening is free."

"Inventory? That's a counting thing right?"

Quinn laughed slightly.

"I am very good with counting. I got an A+ in it in kindergarten," Santana offered.

"But you don't like to brag?"

"I'm modest like that," she paused. "I could help."

"I'll bring the coffee and donuts. You bring a sharpened number two pencil."

"Done." She turned to head toward the car where Evan was still waiting patiently. She turned back with her hands in the pockets and a smile on her face. "I had a great time tonight."

"Yeah, me too. I think my parents like you more than they like me."

"Oh, I doubt that. You're pretty likeable." She had no idea why she said that, but it made Quinn smile pretty big so she left it out there without an explanation. She turned back toward the car with blushed cheeks and that damn heart that never stopped pounding the entire night.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The following morning, Santana and Quinn counted item after item on the shelves and in the back room of Jasper Hardware. They had finished most of the donuts and Santana made a mental note that small town living was going to do nothing for her figure They'd also made it through several cups of to go coffee from the diner across the street and were on a severe sugar high. Quinn stood on a ladder while she reached to the top shelf for a box of masking tape that had to be pulled down and every roll counted. Santana stood beneath holding the ladder and awaiting the box's arrival in her arms. She took it from Quinn and set it on the ground. Quinn made her way down the ladder and turned just in time to be face to face with her. Face to face meaning they were nose to nose. Quinn looked directly into Santana's eyes. Santana was unable to move or speak. They stood like that for a few seconds before Quinn finally moved off the ladder leaving Santana standing there speechless. It was true that recently she had been speechless most of the time, but before the death of her parents, she was rarely without words.

"Well, I guess we're almost done. You weren't lying about your counting skills. This usually takes all day, but it looks like we're going to be done by noon. You wanna do lunch across the street when we finish?" She sat down next to the box and began removing the rolls of tape preparing to count them.

Santana had been confused about Quinn since the moment she arrived and saw her across the water. When she felt her nose graze hers, she wanted something to happen. She wanted Quinn to lean in, take the hint, and lean in, but she didn't. So, she either felt the same way Santana did and was just as terrified or didn't feel it at all and didn't want to make Santana feel awkward, which she already did.

"I can't."

"Oh." Quinn sounded disappointed.

"Yeah, I promised my aunt yesterday that'd I'd at least attempt to hang with everyone. She's calling back tonight to check in. So, I should probably have something to talk about." She stopped. She didn't want to say any of this including, "I should probably go now actually. They'll just be waking up and nursing their hangovers. If I'm lucky, I can catch them before they head out on the boat."

"Okay, I can finish up here. What about tonight? We can head back to Warren and eat somewhere you recognize again."

"Um, I'll just call you. I might just want to lay low tonight. Chill or whatever."

"Okay." again Quinn was disappointed.

Santana got back to the guesthouse just as the boat was taking off. She was relieved she didn't have to spend the afternoon with Evan after the talk they had and the silent drive home after. She went into her room and fell onto her bed. A few hours later, she woke up and the boat had returned. There was a message on her cell from her aunt and a note from Noah saying that they were all heading into town for dinner. She looked at the clock on her phone. It was almost 6. She had slept for a long time. She thought about calling Quinn, but decided against it. She knew Quinn would come and pick her up dressed for a night on the town and Santana would stare at her the whole night wondering what the hell she was feeling for this girl. What the feelings meant, she didn't know, but they had her thinking back to her freshman year again and the roommate she'd had that first semester. They had shared a drunken kiss at a party once and Santana recalled how much she liked it, but she was convinced it was because of the alcohol. Now, with Quinn seeping into her heart, it got her to thinking that maybe the alcohol wasn't the culprit after all. She thought about how many times she'd looked at other girls and kept to herself that she thought that were hot or funny or smart or would probably be good kissers.

The rest of the night was spent inside the house. She watched a movie while everyone was out and when they returned, she attempted to keep her thoughts off of Quinn by watching Puck and Brittany fight over the fact that he hit on their waitress at the diner right in front of her.

"Look, I didn't ask you to come down here with me. You invited yourself, Brit."

"Actually, you did invite her, Puck. I was there. You told her she could party with you this summer and you'd see where it goes." Evan educated.

"You know, I'm not as dumb as he thinks I am. I thought spending a summer on the lake would be fun. I didn't think he'd be trying to get girls to come back here with him when we're sharing a room." Brittany looked over and told Santana.

"He's a moron. Don't worry about it. You could do better." Santana looked over at Brittany and realized that this might be the first conversation they've had.

"You seemed sad when we first got here, but you seem better now."

"Did Puck fill you in on my drama?"

"Your parents died."

"Yeah."

"But you seem like you're a little happier since we got here. What happened?"

Santana admired the directness of this girl.

"Just getting back into the swing of things, I guess."

Brittany looked over at Puck who had lost interest in their fight.

"I don't think I'm going to stay with your cousin. He's fun sometimes, but…"

"Fun only goes so far?"

"Yeah." She paused and looked back at Santana and softly asked, "You going to get back together with Evan?"

"No. Why?"

"I think he's sweet."

Santana's eyes got big and she looked over at her ex-boyfriend who was pulling red M&Ms out of a bowl because he hates the color red. He thinks it's bad luck or something like that.

"Got for it." She stood and started walking to the door. "I'm outta here. Good night."

It was Monday morning before Santana opened her eyes again. She had closed the blind on the screen door as a sign for the others not to disturb her, but with the incessant knocking that was occurring, she wished she had left it open so she could tell who had woken her out of her deep sleep. She stood and slowly walked over to the door and opened it.

"Again with the cows and the ducks?" Quinn joked about the pajamas that Santana had thrown on the night before. "Do you not do laundry?"

"Um…Morning?" was all she could think to say.

"You didn't call me last night." Quinn again had her hair pulled back, but this time had left her bangs down and swept over. Santana noticed that it made her look older. Her white wife beater had been replaced with a Harvard T-shirt and her jean cut-offs were still there.

"Yeah, sorry. I fell asleep." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"Oh, is everything okay? Did Evan say something else? I can slap him if you want."

Santana was blocking the doorway unintentionally. She knew it would be polite to ask Quinn inside, but she was worried about what might happen if she did. She felt like she couldn't control herself around this girl. The things she was feeling in her heart were already confusing, but her body was beginning to react every time she was around and Santana thought back to before graduation. It had been a long time since she had sex and Quinn looking so hot was bringing that thought to the front of her brain and she had to do everything she could to push it back.

"No, I haven't really talked to him since he drove me home the other night. I think Brittany has a thing for him though so maybe that will work in my favor." She offered Quinn, but failed to mention that some of her more recent reclusive behavior was because she had been thinking about Quinn naked and wondered what it would be like to kiss her or maybe do more.

"Listen, I have to go take care of the William's place, but that shouldn't take too long. I was thinking that, if you wanted, we could go somewhere later."

"Where?"

"This place."

"That's ambiguous."

"It'll be a surprise. You in?"

"I don't really do surprises. Can we do whatever it is some other time? I'm just not feeling well today. I think I just need to rest or whatever."

"You say 'or whatever' a lot. How's a person supposed to respond to that? Sounds like a brush off." Quinn's disappointment was obvious.

"It's just that you've kept me so busy these last few days, I just think I should-"

"No, I get it. Look, it's fine. Do you need anything? Soup? Orange juice? That's what my mom always gives me when I don't feel well."

"I'm good."

"All right, will you call when you feel better?"

"Yeah."

Santana wasn't sure she meant that last statement. Quinn waved goodbye with a defeated gesture. Santana hesitated before closing the door and even thought about re-opening it and telling Quinn to come back, but she didn't. She needed some time alone with her thoughts. One of those thoughts took her back to her sophomore year of college. She had been with Evan on a date in a four-star restaurant for their anniversary. She looked over at a table and saw two women who looked to be in their twenties enjoying their dinner. Santana noticed they were holding hands and she saw how their fingers were dancing together as they smiled at each other. Evan reached out to take her hand to bring her back to the conversation. It felt rough and dominated her own small one. It didn't seem to fit. She picked a breadstick out of the container on the table and pulled her hand back. She started to nibble on it while Evan talked. Her thoughts were wandering away back toward that other table where two hands seemed to fit together perfectly.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for all the alerts, favorites and reviews so far. They are all very much appreciated.

Chapter 7:

Three days later, she still hadn't called Quinn. She'd picked up her cell phone just about every hour on the hour and a few more times when she was particularly bored with watching everyone drink and have a great time on what would probably be their last summer together. Noah was staying in Chicago and from what Santana knew, so was Evan, but Artie was off to law school. His parents managed to convince him that a film degree wouldn't get him anywhere. Kurt still had yet to speak to Santana beyond just a few words for whatever reason so she wasn't sure what he'd be up too, but knowing Evan's mom, she wasn't likely to stay with his dad for very long anyway. It wasn't as if Kurt appeared that he didn't want to belong, Santana observed. It was as if he was scared to even try to belong. Like if he shared something about himself, they might not like him. Brittany had forced Puck to sleep on one of the spare couches since they obviously weren't on the same page and Santana liked that the girl went for what she wanted at least. Brittany had taken to calling Evan by Sam and he didn't seem to mind. Maybe there was something there and she'd be off the hook for dropping him. Tina and Mike were moving in together in South Bend, where Tina had a job teaching kindergarten lined up and Mike would teach dance at a local academy while he auditioned at some companies in Chicago. Santana still had no clue what she was going to do with her life and just as that worry plagued her mind again, her phone rang. She had hoped it would be Quinn, but it was just her aunt again.

"San, I need you to come up to the city tomorrow. You can get Samuel to give you a ride," she said with her urgent tone. "I probably should have just let you drive yourself down there so you'd have your car, but I was convinced you'd take off and we'd never see you again." Santana loved her aunt dearly, but when she talked to her, she could only hear her mom's voice. It was worse when she saw her face. It was as if her mom was standing in front of her.

"Why?" Santana asked. Her aunt sent her into exile and now wanted her to come back?

"The lawyer has finally finished all the paperwork and jumped through the metaphorical hoops. He's got the will."

Santana pulled the phone away from her ear momentarily. The will had become somewhat of a problem after their deaths. Apparently, there were legal issues. Santana didn't really understand what all the fuss was about. Her father had his architecture firm and they were well enough off, but there wasn't anything major that would need that much work before the will could be read. Truthfully, she had zoned out during every discussion about stuff like this.

"What time do I need to be there?"

"I'll meet you at the old house at 1." Her aunt told her referring to her parent's house.

"No, I'll meet you at the lawyer's office." Santana hadn't been back there since it happened. From what she was told, Rachel cleaned up after the party and the place hasn't really been touched since. Her uncle had hired someone to mow the lawn once a week as per the neighborhood regulations, but as far as she knew no one had been inside.

She dreaded the idea of asking Evan to drive her, but she knew he wouldn't just let her take his car without an explanation and she didn't really want to give him one. Puck didn't have a car down here by his aunt's design and she didn't want to cause any problems with Tina by asking to borrow Mike's. They had done so well avoiding each other so far. When Santana met Mike, they got along well enough, but they never spent any significant time alone together. Tina was just insecure from what Santana could surmise and she didn't know why. Mike was just a nice guy. He'd helped Rachel and Santana move into their apartment and setup their cable for them. He did it because they were friends. Not for any other reason.

She regretted letting her aunt just drag her down here instead of bringing her own car, but it is what it is now. She sold the car her parents bought her for graduation since it was a reminder of that horrible day. She bought a used one just to get around town, but then she stopped going places and it was just sitting in her assigned space at the apartment that she shared with Rachel. She wasn't entirely sure it was still running and she considered picking it up while she was up there and driving it back down to Jasper, but she was pretty confident that if she did, it would break down on the way and she'd be stranded.

Santana passed the diner and looked across the street at the only building still with its lights on. She looked both ways before crossing the deserted pavement and opened the door with the clanging bell.

"I'm in the back if you want to buy anything-" Quinn began her weekly ritual of telling the old lady where the clearance rack was that she never bought anything from.

"It's just me." Santana took a few steps into the room.

A rolling chair rolled out of the office and into the store. Quinn looked a little surprised, but smiled, as she was happy to finally see Santana.

"Hey," she said openly.

"Hi," Santana responded.

"Hey," a third salutation was heard and the owner of the voice emerged from Quinn's office. He was a decent looking guy around Quinn's age with brown somewhat spiked hair and muscles that had undoubtedly been formed by years of manual labor.

"Oh sorry, Santana this is Finn. Finn this is Santana. She's here for the summer."

Finn walked over and shook her hand. His hands were rough, but his handshake seemed soft.

"Nice to meet you." He was chewing gum rather confidently. Santana decided not to like him even though she was sure he was an okay guy. He had an oaf like appearance about him that seemed to fit with Jasper.

"You too." She looked around his large body to find Quinn, who was now walking up next to him.

'What's up? I thought about calling to check on you, but you seemed like you needed to be left alone." Thank God someone finally understood when she just needed her space.

"I know you have to work tomorrow, but I was wondering if you could get someone to cover for you."

"Why?"

"I'm heading up to Indy. I could use a ride and the company."

"Um… tomorrow I'm working at your place, but if your aunt doesn't mind, I can take the day off. I can reschedule the other people."

"She won't mind."

"Okay, well what time should I pick you up?"

"Eleven."

"I'll be there."

Quinn and Santana had forgotten that Finn was standing right next to them. Without saying goodbye, Santana turned and left. She thought about looking back to see if the two of them would exchange any kind of touches or body language that would lead her to believe that they were back together or on their way to back together. She decided against it because at least if she didn't look, she wouldn't know. If she did look and they hugged or kissed, she would have been shattered. That thought accompanied her back to the guesthouse while she tossed and turned in her bed knowing she would have no chance at a restful sleep tonight and the will was only one of the reasons why.

"So, why are we heading to the city?" Quinn asked after taking a drink of her coffee and handing it to Santana to hold since there were no cup holders in the truck. When Santana was growing up, her family always had new cars, new TVs, new everything and when her parents gave her a used car for her 16th birthday, she was furious, but later she understood their point. They wanted her to get a job and work to pay for insurance and gas and show that she could take care of something that big before they invested thousands of dollars. The car she got for her graduation present was her reward for not only doing well in school, but for demonstrating that responsibility over the years. She had grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle and this truck was definitely not something she would have seen herself riding in, but for some reason, she felt at home in it and when Quinn passed her the coffee cup, she took it instinctively as if they'd been doing that exchange for years and she didn't mind holding onto it in an old, cup holderless, beat up truck.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. Not many people would just agree to give someone a ride two hours away without asking why. Weren't you the one just telling me about the serial killers that roam this town?"

"I trust you."

"It's kind of hard to explain."

"Does it have to do with your parents?"

Santana was caught off guard.

"Evan told me what happened." Quinn finished while turning to look at Santana.

"I'm gonna kill him Auntie Snix style with glass in his cereal or something." Santana wasn't happy about Evan revealing that information to Quinn before she got a chance.

"Um… I don't know who Auntie Snix is, but don't be upset with him. He thought you already told me."

"It's not that I didn't want too. I wanted you to know, but I also wanted you not to know, ya know?"

Quinn laughed, "No, I don't know."

"I liked that you didn't have any idea about that part of my life. I didn't have to worry about you pitying me or acting differently. It was nice not being stared at like I'm going to fall apart any minute for once."

"I'm sorry that your parents are gone, but I won't treat you any differently. If you're being a pain in the ass, I'll still tell you. I might even yell."

Santana smiled at the idea of Quinn yelling at her.

"Their lawyer called. We have to read the will. I know it'll probably be boring for you, but I was hoping you wouldn't mind sitting through it with me. You don't have to though. You can wait outside or go somewhere. My aunt can drive me back if you don't want to wait around." She was giving her an out. This was probably heavier than Quinn knew it would be when she agreed to give her a ride and Santana wanted to give her a chance to back out if she wanted.

"No, I don't mind, but can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you ask Evan or Noah to take you?"

"Because I wanted you there with me." Santana said it so bluntly she even surprised herself. This was the old Santana coming out. In the past with other people, she never worried how they'd react to her direct approach. With Quinn, she worried, but didn't at the same time. They seemed to understand each other for some reason and Santana knew she could be direct with her, but she also still didn't know how Quinn felt. She was straight after all. Santana was straight too or so she thought before meeting this girl.

The two of them sat next to her aunt in office chairs across from the lawyer's desk. Quinn leaned into Santana as they listened to the lawyer read what the girls guessed was the standard will introduction.

"Okay, here's the part that matters. I'll leave out the legal jargon. Your parents left all of their belongings and property to their daughter, Santana. That includes their house and everything inside it as well as their vehicles. The issue that's taken us some time to work through is that of her father's architecture firm. He left his half to you as well." He looked at Santana. "However, your father's partner, Mr. Harding, has contested the will. He doesn't feel he should share the firm with you as a partner. Don't worry though. He has no basis for this claim and I've taken care of it. Half of the firm is legally yours. Well, really it's 51% which makes you're the primary shareholder."

"I don't want it," Santana stated this confidently.

"Santana, wait." Her aunt was confused.

"I don't want it. He can buy me out or whatever. I can't work there now."

"Santana, you should think about this. Your whole life you planned to work with your father."

"With. I planned to work _with_ him. That's not going to happen. I want to sell it."

Her lawyer nodded in agreement. He made a note on his legal pad and moved on to the next point.

"Your parents also left you all of their money. They had several accounts totaling around 5.5 million dollars."

All three women dropped their jaws.

"Did you say million?" Her aunt asked.

"Yes, about 5.5. Your father had his own trust fund that he rarely touched except to start the firm and he was very good with money. He invested well and your mom worked not out of necessity, but because she chose too. So, all of her money went into a trust fund for you, which you were eligible to receive on your 25th birthday, but now that they're gone, it all just goes to you."

"They told me about the trust fund, but they didn't tell me about 5.5 million dollars!"

"Santana, I've known your father since he started his company. I helped him file the paperwork. He and your mother weren't the kind of people who needed a lot of money to get by. They were determined to be good parents and set you up for the future you wanted. Besides, I don't even know if they realized how much money they had. They hired an accountant years ago to move the money around for them."

With one sentence, Santana had become richer than her aunt and her spoiled cousin. She was in shock. Quinn noticed her expression and that she hadn't looked away from the blank space she was staring at. She reached over and placed her hand on top Santana's. Santana felt both shock and happiness at the same time.

They left the lawyer's office after signing all the paperwork and clearing up all the legalities of Santana's new fortune. Her aunt called her uncle immediately and told him what had just been revealed. She spoke to him in rapid Spanish, which she knew her uncle would only understand about half of. When she finally hung up, she hugged Santana for a long minute.

"You should go by the house and check on things. It's about time and it's yours now. You need to decide what you're going to do with it."

"I can't today. I have to get Quinn back to Jasper. She has to work at the book store tonight."

"I can call Mr. Clemmons. I've never called in sick before. I'm sure he'll be okay to cover for a few hours or he can just close early."

"No, you don't have to do that." Santana didn't want to go to the house.

"Yes, you do. Thank you Quinn. You need to do this Santana. Not just because it's your house, but you need to start the process of saying goodbye. She was my sister and my best friend and your father was the one person in the world I believe she was meant to be with. I loved them both very much. I miss them everyday, but we have to move on. You know your parents would want that for you." She hugged Santana again, thanked Quinn, and headed back to Chicago.

"I can't go to that house, Quinn," Santana told her after her aunt's car pulled out of view.

"You don't have a choice. That's where I'm heading and I'm your ride."

Quinn slid her arm into Santana's and walked her to the truck. She opened her door and ushered her in. When she closed the door, she stood there for a moment. "We can sit in the driveway for as long as you need until you're ready to go in."

It was nearing five o'clock when Santana finally opened her door and took steps toward the house.

"You coming?" She asked Quinn.

Quinn opened her door and walked to Santana.

"I wasn't sure if this was something you needed to do alone."

"No, I don't think I'll be able to go in without you."

Quinn took Santana's hand; not in a romantic way, but in a supportive friend kind of way. The two began walking up to the house and Santana unlocked the door. They stood outside for a minute before Santana pulled Quinn inside. It was just like she'd left it. Nothing had been touched. Her graduation presents were still on the dining room table. Her family portrait was still on the wall in the same spot. She expected the house to change as much as she had since her parent's death, but it remained, fortunately and unfortunately, the same.

"It doesn't even feel like my house anymore. It feels like ghosts live here. God, let my abuela hear me say that. She'd start making the sign of the cross and running with sage through every room."

"It is your house. It's just been a while since you've been here."

They sat on the couch in the living room for a while. Then, Santana walked into the kitchen. She told Quinn the story of when she nearly cut off her finger trying to chop vegetables like her mom when she was seven. Her right-handed mother tried to teach the very left -handed little girl to no avail. She still had trouble using a knife. She walked Quinn out to the back yard where they sat on the swings in silence. Quinn stood up and walked behind her. She put her hands on Santana's back and gave her a push. They continued that way until long after sunset. They went back inside and Santana stood outside her father's office. The door had been closed for the party and no one had opened it since. Santana touched the door with the palm of her hand. Her eyes started welling up almost immediately.

"I can't do it. I can't go in there." She started to back away.

"Okay, it's okay. You don't have too."

That night, they slept in Santana's old bed. Santana had been holding back tears for months and she tried to hold them back tonight too because she didn't want Quinn to see her cry, but the emotion of the day caught up to her and she cried. Quinn just held her in silence. Santana didn't think about what it meant or where it was going. She just knew that she needed her to be there. She didn't just need someone. She needed her.

When they woke up the next morning, Santana was facing away from Quinn, but she could feel her right behind her. She turned to face her. Quinn was awake and had been for a while it appeared.

"I used to have this little desk. I put it in front of his and I would sketch pictures of houses and churches in crayon. He had shelves of books in there and I've read most of them. I don't usually volunteer that I'm an avid reader. So, don't tell anyone. Anyway, it used to be the place I would go when I needed to be alone. Even if he was there working, I could still just sit on the couch and read or watch him work."

Quinn brushed the hair off of her face as if she had done it a million times before and listened to her talk about her life for most of the morning.

"Thank you for being here." Santana graciously expressed.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Again, their faces were close and Santana finally saw Quinn's feelings in her eyes. Those beautiful green eyes were looking right through her and they weren't telling her to socialize more or to be normal or to be who she was. They weren't telling her to move on with her life and make decisions. They were somehow just saying that there's something going on here and it's confusing, but I feel it too. She decided not to think this time and began to lean in. Quinn did the same.

Santana's phone rang. She left it in her purse the night before and her purse was in the living room. That moment of distraction proved to be too much. She stood and ran toward the ringing sound.

They arrived back at the house a few hours later. Neither of them knew what to say it seemed so they went with nothing, which meant most of the drive was in silence.

"You're going reclusive again, aren't you?" Quinn asked after putting the car in park.

"I just need to digest all of this. I do that some times. I just need to be left alone so I can figure things out. I'm not usually one to share my feelings. Probably hard for you to believe given the past couple of days though."

"I understand. I just don't want…"

"Are you having family dinner this week?"

"Every week."

"Am I still invited?"

"Every week."

"I'll see you then."

Santana got out of the car and walked into the guesthouse. She spent the next few days thinking about her parents and what they left her. She tried to plan out her life in many different ways and when she got sick of that, she watched TV in the main house and ate ice cream out of the carton. She missed Quinn. She knew it. She wanted to talk to her, but she wanted to make sure she would be able to talk about something other than her dead parents. This is the reason she wanted to keep her away from it as long as possible. Sure, she knew that she'd tell her either on the drive or after the trip to the lawyer's office if Quinn decided not to go in, but she was hoping that their dynamic wouldn't change because of her tragedy. Now, she was faced with figuring out her feelings for Quinn that appeared to be growing rapidly while trying to navigate the conversations about her parents and her former life. It could be a good thing, she thought as she attempted to fall asleep to the crickets making noise outside. At least she was able to talk about it now. She was able to smile and laugh and still think about her parents. She was able to feel again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

When Saturday arrived, Santana put on the best outfit she could find. She'd eventually given in, hung up and put away the clothes her aunt had packed for her. The closet in her apartment was organized perfectly by color and season. She took pride in her fashion sense, but her aunt had just shoved what she could grab into bags and she was left with whatever she could throw together to at least resemble an outfit. Why didn't she think to stop by her apartment and pick up some of her things while she was in Indy? She took her long, dark hair and curled the ends so it looked more than just presentable. She put on her make up and checked herself out in the mirror. She wasn't going for a night out at a club or anything, but she wanted to look like she at least cared. She managed to talk Evan into letting her just borrow the car instead of having him drive her over. She'd been avoiding him since their last conversation and didn't want to be in another enclosed space alone. He'd been having fun with Brittany anyway and Santana had to admit she liked seeing him happy again. Puck was pissed off for a minute before he realized he was free to do what he wanted now.

Plus, it was getting harder and harder for her to hide how she felt about Quinn. She smiled every time she was around and was also daydreaming about being with her when she was with everyone else. She was constantly thinking about finding ways to touch Quinn. She could ask her to pass something at dinner and graze her hand. She could sit close to her on the loveseat again and find a reason to touch her leg or maybe tell her she had something on her face just so she could brush the imaginary thing off her skin.

She arrived just in time for dinner and again enjoyed the night with Beth and Quinn's parents. They laughed for over an hour before her parents went to do the dishes and Beth walked back to her room. Santana expected another movie, but Quinn squeezed her arm and motioned her through the hallway. There's that touch she'd been craving and it felt electric and worth the wait. She made it to a door and Quinn opened it. It was Kaleb's bedroom. Quinn turned on the light. A twin bed was against the back wall and a tiny sofa took up the sidewall. He had a small desk in a corner and free weights on the floor. Quinn motioned for her to go inside. She closed the door behind them and sat on the couch. Santana sat next to her not knowing what else to do. Time to find a way to make another touch happen, she thought as Quinn stared around the room. Santana stared at her trying to figure out what they were doing in this room. She would have preferred to see Quinn's old bedroom and maybe get a look at that cheerleading uniform she'd been thinking about since Quinn mentioned her high school activity.

"My brother Kaleb played soccer with me over in Warren growing up. I was horrible, but he was great. When he was a sophomore, my parents sent him to a camp and he got scouted. There were colleges lined up with full rides, which never happens to people in Jasper. When he was seventeen, I was eighteen. We were really close because we were both passionate about things. He loved soccer and I loved Harvard. My dad always wanted me to go to Yale. That's where he dreamed of going growing up before he met my mom when he was 18 and moved here. I liked Yale enough, but I loved the idea of going to Harvard. I watched Legally Blonde too many times, I guess. I wanted to be a lawyer. I had this idea that I would save the world or something. There was no chance I was going to get in, but one day, during my senior year, I got a letter in the mail. They wanted me. It made no sense really. My GPA was high and I had a couple of extra curriculars and good SAT scores, but I don't know why they accepted me when they can have anyone." Santana thought about how easy it would be to answer that question for Quinn. "I must have impressed them with my essay. I don't know. I was so excited that day, but everyone was at Kaleb's tournament in Warren. I sat in the living room staring at the letter making sure I read it right. At about the same time, Kaleb scored the game-winning goal. He had ridden with my dad because my mom had to pick Beth up from school before heading over. After celebrating, my dad and Kaleb headed back. When they were just outside of Warren, they were side swiped by a tired semi truck driver. That's the reason my dad's in the chair."

Santana looked away from Quinn and around the room. This was the room of a seventeen year old, not a twenty-two year old.

"Kaleb died on impact. I never told anyone in my family that I got accepted."

"I'm so sorry, Quinn." Was the reason she felt so connected to this girl because she had been through a tragedy of her own? "Wait? They don't know? You never told them you got in?" Santana leaned toward her again and rested her arm on the top of the couch.

"No. After the initial shock of losing Kaleb, we had to remodel the house for my dad's chair and he had months of rehab before they let him come home. My mom was too busy taking care of him to worry about Beth or the shop. So after graduation, I started running things and handling the landscaping. Finn helped when he could and never asked for money. It's one of the reasons I finally decided to date him. I took the job at the book store a little while after that."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Quinn placed her arm on top of Santana's. She began running her fingers gently toward her elbow. Santana's eyes got big and she almost pulled her arm away, but something made her keep it there. It was the feeling of Quinn's skin touching her own. There was a magnet somehow keeping her arm in place as long as Quinn was touching her.

"It's something that happened, but it's not something I bring up all the time. I'm not telling you now because I understand what you're going through or because I want _you_ to have pity on _me_."

Santana watched Quinn's fingers go back down toward her wrist. She could feel the tickle and her pulse began to speed up.

"Then, why are you telling me now?"

"The day you got here, I felt there was something about you that was different from all of your friends. On the boat, while everyone was looking ahead toward the water, you turned back."

"You saw me staring at you? I swear, normally I'm a lot smoother, but you just do something to me." Santana was embarrassed, but her eyes stayed on Quinn's fingers that were now interlocking with Santana's digits.

"I saw you looking back. When people head out on the lake, they look forward. It's like this metaphor for looking to the future, I think. You looked back as if you had something you couldn't let go of. I knew then."

"Knew what?"

Quinn leaned in. She took her other hand and placed it on the side of Santana's face. Santana closed her eyes as she felt this. She opened them back only to feel the hand move away and rest on her knee instead.

"I knew that I was supposed to know you."

"You did?" Santana asked almost muttering.

"I feel like there's a part of you you're not letting me see, but there's also a different part of you that you let no one else see."

"I used to be different. Some would probably say I was a bitch. I just considered myself spirited. After my parents died though and I retreated, I lost all that. That's what my friends keep talking about when they say they want me to be normal. I used to be able to joke and mock and laugh about how funny I was and how they were all losers." She smiled a little and Quinn smiled back.

"You've joked a little with me."

"Yeah, you've somehow brought it back out in me."

"You haven't said anything about me holding your hand." Quinn remarked.

"I was afraid if I did, you'd stop." Santana admitted while giving Quinn's hand a little squeeze. She thought back to that couple holding hands at the restaurant and felt Quinn's hand was the perfect size and shape to fit into her own. It was soft and each touch sent these little pinpricks of pleasure over her body. "I've never…"

"Neither have I. I mean, I've felt it before. Wanting to be with another girl. I thought about it when I was with Finn. Being with him just never felt right and only part of that was because we were friends. The other part of it was probably because I had a crush on the girl he dated when we were broken up, but this is Jasper."

"I guess I've thought about it too if I'm being honest with myself. I never acted on it though unless you count a drunken party kiss." She paused to again just focus on the feeling of Quinn's skin on hers. "What do we do about it?"

Quinn looked at her hand and retracted it. She brushed the hair out of Santana's face once more and said, "Nothing."

"Um… what?" Santana wasn't expecting that.

"In a couple months, you head back to your life and I stay here. There's no Harvard in my future. The shop isn't doing well. That's why I'm taking business classes. I'm stuck here. I love my family and I would do anything for them. That's why Jasper will always be home."

"Then why the hell did you hold my hand, Quinn? I thought you wanted this. Why are you playing me?"

"I'm not trying to _play_ you." It sounded funny with Quinn saying it. "I just wanted us to put it out there. We've almost kissed a couple of times and I figured it would just be easier to talk about it and move on. You're leaving San… you'll be gone and I'll be here."

"It's only two hours away." Santana was pleading. She didn't like where this conversation was going. She also didn't like pleading. She'd never had to beg to get something she wanted in her life.

"That's not what this is about. You've got all this great stuff to get back to and to get started. I can't hold you back from that and I won't. So, whatever it is that we're feeling for each other, we have to stop it."

"I don't want to stop it," Santana replied in full disclosure mode. "You think I've got this life to get back to, but I don't. I've got nothing. I've got a house I can't live in, a company I can't work at, and friends I can't stand to be around," she paused. "I've been confused as hell about what I feel whenever you're around and the things that I think about you when you're not, but I can't just stop what I'm feeling because I'm leaving at the end of the summer or because you're not exactly who I envisioned I would feel these things for."

"Don't get upset."

"Don't tell me how to react, Q. I mean, Jesus fucking Christ! I've known you for about five minutes and my life is already all about you. I can't sleep because I'm thinking about you constantly and I've never had work this hard to convince someone to date me. I mean, look at me."

Quinn was stuck between laughing at how Santana is starting to lack in the modesty department all the sudden and interrupting to tell her that it's not about convincing her. Quinn was convinced that if circumstances were different, the two of them would be together.

Santana stood. She walked toward the door and grabbed the knob. She stopped.

"My aunt said when she met my father she believed he was the only person in the world who was made to be with my mom. I used to think that crap like that was for romantic comedies where the girl takes off her glasses and she's suddenly hot, but you and I are already hot and I'd given up on finding anyone the moment that car jack knifed my parents." She paused. "These past few weeks, through all of the confusion and trying to make it stop, I started to see you as someone I could be with. You're the one person who's been able to get me to think about my life again. I wanted to punch that Finn guy in the nuts when I met him and I wanted to scream every time Evan tried to tell me we were meant for each other. We're not meant for each other and I don't know if you and I are, but I do know that if you're not even willing to check it out and see what could happen, then I've gotta get out of here. I can't just hang around Jasper and be your friend and I can't see you around town and not talk to you especially when every shirt you wear shows your abs and all I can think about then is tearing it off you. Seriously, do you not have a shirt that reaches your belt?" Santana calmed herself for a moment and stared at the floor. She realized that her voice had been raised and that she was upset. She saw a glimpse of her old self in her reaction to Quinn telling her this was going nowhere. It was a good thing to see herself again, but it also meant that now she had to deal with these feelings instead of pushing them away and that she would once again feel pain. "Look, you may not even like the real me. You've met the damaged, broken Santana. You never knew me before. Believe it or not, some people didn't like the person I was. I was too blunt or too nasty or too honest. I get angry and fiery and my Latina side comes out and I say things about having razor blades in my hair. I'm not this neutered girl you met. You like this version of me, but it's just the leftover version of me." She looked at Quinn. "I like you, but I doubt you'd like the real me. So, maybe you're right. Maybe if you're bringing the old me back, you should just save yourself."

She opened the door and left the room. She walked through the house and left without saying goodbye to Quinn's parents. She walked back to the house despite the lecture she would get from Evan and probably Noah, but she needed the time alone with her thoughts and also with her tears. When she got back, she let Noah know and headed to the guesthouse. She changed into her cow and duck pajamas and lay on top of the covers. She was there for more than an hour staring at her ceiling thinking about how her friends and her aunt would be happy because she was back to her old self. She'd go back home and she'd figure out the rest of her life without Quinn because Quinn wouldn't want her anyway. She'd just closed her eyes, when the door opened. She forgot to lock it again.

"Fucking hell, can a girl not get some peace and-" Santana looked up to see who she was yelling at and stopped immediately.

Quinn walked in. She didn't say anything and Santana didn't know what to say. She sat up on the bed and watched as Quinn pulled down the blind on the door. She stared intently as Quinn walked to the closest window, which also had the blind pulled up. She looked at Santana, who still had no words. Quinn pulled that blind down. She continued until the entire room was sealed off from the outside world. She walked over to the bed and stood at the end. She looked slightly less confident now that she was standing so close. She moved herself onto the bed and Santana, who used her hands to push herself back toward the headboard, held her breath in.

"I like your pajamas." Quinn stated because she didn't know what else to say. Santana was sure that Quinn's planning had stopped at this moment. Quinn made her way toward her put her hands around her waist and drew her into her. "Are you nervous?" Quinn asked. She had to wait a while before Santana answered.

"Terrified." Santana admitted because while she had dreamed of this moment, she had no idea what to do now that is was actually happening. All her confidence was gone.

"You were wrong earlier." Quinn told her while allowing her nose to nuzzle hers.

"About what?" Santana asked in a breathy tone because her throat was dry and she was having difficulty speaking.

"I do know you and I do like you. All of you. I've seen your feisty side emerge more and more every day and I could see it in your eyes that you wanted to kick Finn in the nuts when you met him. You're not exactly good at covering up your anger."

Santana laughed and their lips touched slightly and then pulled away out of shock until they finally came together. It was slow at first as Quinn moved Santana until she was flat against the bed and Quinn was on top of her. Quinn gently moved her tongue along Santana's bottom lip until Santana understood what she wanted and opened her mouth further to allow Quinn's tongue to meet with hers. She couldn't explain what she was feeling as Quinn moved her mouth to her jaw and then to her earlobe where her tongue emerged and played with it until she heard Santana finally let out a breath and sigh slightly.

"I thought you said you didn't want this."

Quinn raised herself so they were eye to eye.

"I never said that. I said I did want it, but that I didn't think we should. I still don't think we should, but after you left, I thought about how if that was the last time I saw you, I'd be heartbroken. I'd never get over it." She leaned in and kissed her again. "I'm still scared, but I've wanted to kiss you for so long…" she faded and kissed Santana again. "You know what I want to do," Quinn whispered in her ear it in statement format, but it was really more of a question.

"The same thing I want to do." Santana declared and with her hand placed behind Quinn's neck, she pulled her face back to her so she could make eye contact. She leaned in and attempted to catch her lips in another kiss, but Quinn pulled back slightly before she could get a chance. Santana was worried she had said the wrong thing and she stared into those eyes she loved so much hoping to find a reaction. "Did I say something wrong?" She finally questioned when finding none.

"No," Quinn offered. "I just wasn't expecting that, I guess."

Santana leaned in again and was finally granted that kiss, which was quick, but necessary she felt.

"What were you expecting?" She asked.

"I don't know." Quinn leaned her forehead against Santana's and spoke slowly and deliberately. "I've never done this before. I mean… I have done this before, but not with another girl… woman."

Santana laughed lightly and placed her hand on the small of Quinn's back, stroking under her shirt. Quinn's eyes closed momentarily at her touch while her hand slid up Santana's side under her pajama, button down shirt.

"Girl is fine and neither have I. I never expected to feel this way about anyone, but definitely not another _girl_," she emphasized and earned a smile from Quinn, whose hand was still moving slowly on her stomach and further north still. "I just met you and I… I'm having a hard time picturing my life without you."

Quinn thought for a moment that there was a benefit to Santana being so blunt. Sometimes, it might hurt, but other times, she gets to hear her say things like that. Quinn's eyes had drifted down to where her hand was moving, but at that comment, they immediately swung to meet with Santana's nervous gaze. They both realized the seriousness of this moment and neither was really sure what should happen next.

"You are an amazing kisser." Quinn complimented and Santana laughed. They had decided to break the tension with laughter. Quinn looked back down toward her hand and reached for the bottom button. She looked back up to Santana for permission. Santana just smiled. "What about me? Do I compare to your drunken girl kiss?"

Santana laughed.

"You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

"No way."

Quinn proceeded to unbutton the bottom button and the one above it. She moved down slightly so that her mouth was now over Santana's stomach. She kissed the bare skin she found there and pushed the shirt up further so she could find more. Santana just laid there with one hand still somewhat attached to the back of Quinn's neck and the other trying to push her hair out of her face as she moved from one side of her stomach to the other with kisses. As Quinn backed away slightly and looked back into her eyes, her body still in the same position, she reached for Santana's buttons again and undid the next two. She placed her hand over the skin that was on top of Santana's heart and then slid her fingertips down Santana's stomach and rested them against her exposed hipbone. Santana's heartbeat grew louder and she was sure that if someone was standing outside one of those screened windows, they could hear it.

"I don't want to be one of those girls. I really don't because I want this. I want everything and I want it tonight, but…" Santana was rambling, which Quinn had always found adorable, but now that she had Santana beneath her and could see the curve of her breasts above her flat stomach, she found it both adorable and sexy at the same time.

"We don't have to do anything." Quinn sat back so that she was straight up resting on her knees. She smiled so as to tell Santana without words that she was fine with waiting.

"But I want to." Santana's hands went to Quinn's waist and then under her shirt, which she pushed up slightly. Quinn's eyes closed again and reopened moments later. "I'm not normally the waiting type. Trust me."

"And you know that I want to. That's enough for tonight, isn't it? You know how I feel and I know how you feel and we're going to try this. We shouldn't rush into it just because you look so hot with your shirt open like that and your tongue in my mouth feels amazing." She leaned forward again, which pushed Santana's hands up higher under her shirt. Quinn didn't seem to mind as she grabbed Santana's lips for another of their passionate kisses. Santana was feeling both confident and aroused so she allowed her hands to slide further up until they were grasping Quinn's breasts. Quinn pulled back and moaned against her lips.

"Do you want me to stop?" Santana asked hoping the answer was no.

"I thought…" Quinn tried to think as Santana removed her hands from under her shirt and instead placed them on its hem pulling it up slightly.

"We're not, but that doesn't mean we have to stop entirely, does it? You can't just say things about my shirt and my tongue like that and expect me not to respond."

Quinn smiled against her forehead before kissing it and then leaning up so that Santana could pull her shirt off. It was tossed on the floor, but Santana couldn't tell you where because her eyes were otherwise engaged.

"My eyes are up here, Lopez." Quinn pointed toward her eyes with two fingers, but Santana didn't look away. She just reached forward to pull Quinn back down to her, but Quinn resisted slightly and Santana finally met her glance with her own pleading one. Quinn looked down and undid the remaining buttons on those ridiculous pajamas and pushed the shirt back over her shoulders. Santana sat up so it could be removed entirely before Quinn threw it aside and settled back onto her knees so she could have her moment to stare.

"You're beautiful." Quinn half said and half breathed out.

She ghosted her hands over Santana's body wanting to both touch everything, but also take the time in each moment so she would remember everything about this night. Santana's eyes were closed and she was embarrassed that she couldn't seem to open them, but everything in that moment felt so perfect. She knew they weren't going to go much further that night. She knew that as much as they both wanted it, neither of them was ready for everything yet. As Quinn moved her mouth down to her body and spent time focusing on both of her nipples, Santana was wondering if that bookstore she worked in had a section on lesbian sex because the way Quinn was making her body feel right now just with barely there touches and the slight pushing of their hips together was telling her she needed to learn quickly because apparently Quinn had read up on the topic. At this point, she wasn't sure how long she could wait. There were a couple of moments between kisses and Quinn moving her mouth to various parts of her body; sucking on some and licking others where she felt Quinn move against her and hit just the right spot causing her body to jerk slightly. Quinn knew what she was doing to her and she moved her thigh so it was between Santana's. She wanted that feeling just as much as Santana did and she slowly rocked her body into Santana's continuing to move her hands and mouth everywhere. She picked up her pace and Santana realized what was about to happen.

"You really know what you're doing. Jesus!" Santana professed.

Her face was flushed by the time Quinn's eyes met her own again. They were both breathing heavily and Quinn kissed her deeply before resting her forehead back against Santana's, her hips still rocking quickly.

"Do you want me to stop?" She asked knowing the answer already, but not wanting to take this somewhere Santana wasn't ready for.

"No, God no," was all Santana could muster as her hips bucked up into Quinn's thigh and Quinn released a sound between a heavy breath and a moan that just drove her to move faster and harder trying to get Santana there. She wanted to experience that herself and was almost there, but didn't really care about herself in those moments either. She wanted to see Santana's face, which was turning ever redder as she reached that moment of bliss. Quinn was sure she hadn't experienced an orgasm since before her parents died, at least that someone else gave her, and she wanted to be the person to give that moment to her more than anything.

"Tell me what you want." she muttered into her ear as she sucked on it and moved her tongue down her neck.

"Just don't stop. I'm almost…" and as her hands moved from Quinn's back and neck to cover Quinn's ass pushing it further down, Santana was there. Her body was frigid and unmoving and she didn't utter a sound. Her breath was stuck somewhere in her body that was now tingling and Quinn was continuing to move against her thigh attempting to help lengthen the moment, but also still trying to have one of her own. She slowed her pace as she looked into Santana's eyes. It had been so long since Santana had felt anything close to this feeling. She felt water gathering in her eyes and did her best to get rid of it because she really didn't want to be the girl who cries in bed. They weren't sad tears. They were more relief tears.

"Why are you slowing down?" Santana finally verbalized as she smiled and continued pressing into Quinn. Quinn understood that Santana wanted her to share that moment with her and she again picked up her pace until she was on the brink of explosion. Santana quickly grabbed Quinn by the waist and flipped them so that she was now on top. Even with guys, Santana preferred to be on top and seeing Quinn underneath her was enough to make her wet all over again, but this wasn't about her now. Quinn looked disappointed in that moment until she realized what Santana wanted as her hips started doing most of the work against her. Quinn's head rolled back and her eyes closed, as Santana's hands seemed to be everywhere all at once and her mouth moved to Quinn's collarbone.

"Is this okay?"

"Yes…" she whisper moaned as she pulled Santana's mouth to hers. Just as she did, her eyes shot open and she said yes a few more times into Santana's mouth as Santana pulled away to look into those eyes. Her hips paused momentarily taking it all in. She wasn't sure what was better; her own orgasm with Quinn as the cause or watching Quinn right now in this moment and Santana being the one who gave it to her. How she felt this good while being still half clothed, she didn't know, but she sure wasn't going to question it either. Quinn met her eyes after coming back down from her high and Santana stayed where she was. Was this what she had been missing? Was it this good even with their clothes on because Santana really needed another woman to touch her like this? Her thoughts bounced around in her brain.

"I can't believe that just happened." Quinn finally broke the silence.

"I think you knew that was going to happen when you walked in my door." Santana smiled and kissed her again.

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean I've never… with my clothes still on… even without… it's never happened that quickly… or been that…good." She finally caught her breath. "I mean… Finn kind of fumbled around most of the time and it would take forever…"

"Okay, really don't want to talk about your ex-boyfriend after what we just did. Do you want me to talk about sex with Evan?"

Quinn laughed.

"God no."

"And it's never been that good for me either. You are very talented for a rookie." Quinn laughed again and Santana lowered herself onto her body to rest her head on her stomach. She heard something outside and her head shot up and her eyes were huge.

"It's just the sprinkler's, baby." Quinn said and smiled at her taking her hand into her own and motioning Santana back into position against her. Santana followed and rested her head back down now taking in the sounds of water beating against the outside of the guest house.

"You know you just called me baby."

"Sorry, it slipped. I've been calling you that in my mind for a while."

"No, I like it. Let's keep that up, but no sweetheart. Evan tried that once. It doesn't really work for me."

"Good to know."

Quinn laughed and put her hand in Santana's hair moving it around. She liked that it was after sex disheveled, but she also wanted to see that face it was hiding.

"You're not going anywhere tonight, are you?" Santana asked with her eyes closed.

"No, I'm not going anywhere."

"Good." Santana moved up, gave Quinn another long kiss and moved to the side so she could rest her head on Quinn's shoulder, drape her arm over her waist, and place her leg between Quinn's. Quinn just smiled as she stared at the ceiling. She spent the next couple of hours listening to Santana's breathing go from erratic to slow and paced. Her hand covering Santana's against her stomach and moving from time to time as she dragged her fingers up and down her arm. She thought about everything in those hours. She thought about how it felt to kiss her, how it turned her on earlier when she got fiery and upset, how it was the first time in a long time she was able to think about something other than the boring, difficult life that was ever present in Jasper. She thought about Harvard and how she stopped dreaming about it years ago and the arrival of Santana in her life made her begin thinking about it again. She thought about how she can't leave her family on their own and that made her sad because she also knew that she was right earlier. Santana cannot stay in Jasper. Even if she says she has nothing, she does have a future and it's not going to be in this small town on a lake in a studio apartment above a bookstore. She stopped the negative thoughts for a moment just to take in the feeling of Santana's body against her skin. Her eyes finally closed for good later with a smile on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

When they woke up, it was well into the afternoon. Santana's eyes gradually opened. They had reversed positions during the night. Quinn's head was on her shoulder with her arm around her waist. She smiled and rubbed her eyes with her spare hand as her left arm was around Quinn. The sun was high in the sky and had made the shaded room bright with yellows and oranges Santana had failed to notice every other day she'd woken in that room. Quinn moved slightly, but appeared to be content remaining asleep. Santana was content just lying there forever. She suddenly realized how much her arm hurt with Quinn's head resting upon it, but decided she didn't care. It was the good kind of pain.

A few minutes later, Quinn's eyes finally opened and she looked up at her. She smiled shyly and tucked her head back. She kissed Santana's neck, which tickled a little. Santana laughed lightly. How was it possible Quinn could be so confident last night, but this morning was so coy?

"My mom gave them to me." Santana said into the air as she stared back up toward the ceiling.

"What?" Quinn looked back up at her.

"I'm feeling confessional. The pajamas you love so much. My mom saw them at the store and thought they were funny. She bought a set for me and one for her for Christmas."

"Well, she was right. They are pretty funny."

"Shut up," Santana replied not really meaning it.

"Oh God, what time is it?" Quinn looked to the covered windows and recognized the late hour.

"Um…" Santana looked at the clock. "It's 1:00."

"I was supposed to meet Finn for lunch at noon."

"Call him later and tell him you slept in instead. You won't be lying." She wiggled her eyebrows at the insinuation.

"And what should I tell him was the reason for my sleeping in?"

Quinn leaned up and looked into Santana's eyes.

"He's your friend. What do you think he'd say if he knew you spent the night with me and not in a PG watching Pretty Little Liars while talking about boys and making popcorn and then having a pillow fight kind of way?"

"Well, that _is_ what I was planning on telling him. Is that a problem?" Quinn asked sarcastically. "Seriously though, I don't even want to think about it. He'd freak out if he knew in more ways than one." Quinn sat up. She put her hands over her face. Santana remained lying back and used the opportunity to brush the small of Quinn's back with her fingers.

"Yeah well, he won't be alone there."

"Maybe we shouldn't tell anyone." Quinn turned her head to look at Santana.

"You don't want anyone to know?" Santana removed her hand from Quinn's back and folded her hands together over her chest, which was visible with the blankets pulled down. She suddenly felt very naked even though she still had her pajama bottoms on.

"It's not that I don't want anyone to know." Quinn moved. She put her arms on the either side of Santana and leaned over her. "I want everyone to know. It's just that I want us to just be us first."

"What do you mean?"

"We can't just walk down the streets of Jasper, Indiana holding hands and whispering in each other's ear. People in this town are nice, but they won't understand. Do you honestly think Noah and Evan and the rest of your friends are going to understand this?" She leaned into Santana's neck and kissed below her earlobe.

"I think Tina will be happy. At least then she'll know that I'm not after Mike."

Quinn smiled and moved to match their eye lines before kissing her.

"Can I just have time with you? I don't want to worry about stares, glances, or comments made by people who don't even know us."

"Okay. We'll keep it quiet." Santana reached up and began playing with Quinn's hair. She had to admit, she was a little disappointed. She understood what Quinn was saying and she felt the same way too, but she also felt happy for the first time in a long time and Quinn was the reason for that happiness and she wanted everyone to know.

They decided that they would know when the right moment presented itself to tell the people they loved. For Quinn, that was her family and Finn. For Santana, that was Noah, her aunt and uncle, and Evan. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than she already had, but Quinn or no Quinn, they weren't getting back together. When she found the right moment, she would fill him in and hope for the best, but she also knew his opinion really didn't matter all that much to her. Plus, he was spending a lot of time flirting with Brittany so maybe she was thinking he'd care more than he actually will.

They stayed there and talked in bed sharing more perfect moments and laughter. It was Santana's best night and day since her parent's died. It might have been the best night and day she'd ever had. She thought back to what it felt like to fall in love with Evan and she knew it was real then and she still knew that it was real now, but there was something different about these feelings she had with Quinn. It was hard to explain. Hell, it was hard for her to understand yet alone try to explain, but it was something about promise. With Quinn, there was promise. There were possibilities. So many of them in fact. Some of them are ones she doesn't want to consider. The ones where they're not together. Most of them involve them sharing more moments like these where Santana takes in the sound of Quinn's voice and laugh and the way her face moves when she smiles and how it feels to drag her finger across those lips.

After they each had a quick shower, they headed to the main house. The boat was missing from the dock so they were safe to go inside. They played a game of pool, which Santana had to teach her. She'd spent many a night in college hustling guys at billiards. They all assumed she didn't stand a chance, but little did they know that in architecture school, geometry and trigonometry are kind of important and pool is a game of angles. Teaching Quinn gave her the chance to stand behind her and put her hand on top of hers and breathe in her hair, which smelled like her own shampoo. After that, they watched some TV on the couch. Quinn lay across Santana's lap and held her arm over her waist.

"Favorite Christmas?" Quinn asked. They had been giving each other their favorite things while not really paying attention to a Sunday afternoon TV movie.

"The last one we all had together."

"What about your favorite when you were a kid?"

"I was 10. My dad got me this architecture pencil and ruler set. It was just a toy, but I loved it. I opened it right away and forgot about my other presents. I actually started sketching a tree house on the other side of the wrapping paper until my parents made me stop so I could open the kid sized easel they had also gotten me."

"Awe, you were a nerd," Quinn announced in an endearing way.

"Hey," Santana sat up.

"No, it's good. I like nerds. Nerds are in now. I'm a nerd. Favorite movie?"

"Citizen Kane."

Quinn sat up and gave her a look of disbelief.

"Nope, not buying it. You're not a classic film girl. What's your real favorite movie?"

"Fine. Fine. I've never seen Citizen Kane. My dad liked it and tried to get me to watch it once. I made it 5 minutes before I was bored to tears."

"And?"

"I like The Wedding Planner." Santana hung her head low at that admission.

"No, really? That's your favorite movie?"

"Hey, you asked." Santana looked into those eyes again and thought about how she had never admitted that she loved romantic comedies to anyone before. Quinn had a way of calling her out and she liked it. Evan always just let her walk all over him. "I like that part where Jennifer Lopez gets drunk and like wanders down that hill and then ends up trying to get into her apartment and buzzes all her neighbors. It's funny. And the part where Matthew McConaughey shouts 'There's a damn dear in the road!' in that funny accent." Quinn laughed before resuming her original position. "Why? What's your favorite movie? Something classy, I presume Little Miss Pretentious."

"Ha! Not even close. Bend it Like Beckham."

"I've never seen it."

"I haven't watched it in a long time. Since Kaleb. It's a soccer movie. Well, it's a movie where there's soccer. I was terrible as I told you before, but I wished I could get better and play in college. They even moved me to goalie when it appeared my eye foot coordination was the problem, but I just ended up losing us games so I quit. I lived vicariously through my brother for a while."

"Hey, do you think one of the reasons we're drawn to each other is because we've both lost people?"

Quinn seemed to be thinking before answering.

"I'd like to think that even if Kaleb were alive, my dad wasn't in the chair and your parents were still around, we'd still be sitting here like this, but I don't know. If the accident never happened, I'd probably be at Harvard. If I liked Cambridge, I'd probably stay there for law school. If not, it would be another city. If your parents were still alive, you might have still come down here, but you would've been on that boat with your friends and even if I happened to be in town visiting, I doubt you would've given me the time of day."

Santana thought about it. Quinn was probably right, but she didn't like thinking about how they would have missed each other.

"Let's say that you graduated from Harvard and you finished a year of law school and came back to Jasper for the summer because you needed a break. I came here to reign in Puck and have a fun summer before working with my dad and that day when I was on the boat, I looked at Evan and realized I needed to end it because there's no timeline I can think of that he and I end up together, I decide in that moment to tell him it's over and when I turn back, you're still there. You picked up a shift or two for your dad so he and your mom could get away or something. I see you there and you see me seeing you there and we still end up here."

Quinn sat up to look at her.

"Instead of thinking about what might have been, let's just enjoy the moments we have now. However they came to be…" She leaned in and kissed her before lying back down. Santana knew she was right. The world she had just created was not to be and they still had to figure out if this thing could even work after the summer. It was better to just enjoy the time they have together now.

Hours later, the boat returned and the girls were confronted by everyone in the basement. No one seemed to suspect anything was different, but Noah did wonder what brought Santana out of her self-prescribed seclusion. She explained that she just needed a little time to adjust to her surroundings, but she was feeling well adjusted now. Quinn smirked at this comment while the others just seemed to take it as a good enough response and carried on with changing out of their bathing suits and hopping in their cars to head to Warren for dinner. Quinn and Santana didn't want to join them, but Puck insisted and Quinn wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to get to know these people. She was specifically interested to learn more about Noah since he was basically Santana's brother and also Evan because even though she knew Santana no longer loved him, she still saw him as her competition and until she could remedy that, she wanted to know more.

"You want to take your truck so we can ditch if we want?" Santana asked Quinn when no one was paying attention.

"We can't. You left Evan's car at my parent's house, remember? You also left your purse when you fled so I drove the car and the purse back over and left the truck with my dad. I then left your purse in the car in my nervousness about coming over. So, if you've been looking for that, that's where it is." Quinn told her. Santana laughed because her purse and Evan's car had been the last things on her mind.

They rode in the backseat as Evan drove and Kurt sat silent in the passenger seat. Santana hadn't spent much time with the gang, but she was pretty sure Kurt still hadn't spoken more than a few words the entire time he'd been here. She thought about trying to figure out why, but was a bit preoccupied when Quinn's hand arrived on top of her own in her lap. She took the opportunity to covertly intertwine their fingers moving her thumb over Quinn's hand as she did so. She smiled as she looked down remembering how she used to see her father take her mother's hand in his and do the same thing. She thought about her parents a lot since their death. She couldn't avoid it, but whenever she did she always felt the loss over the positive memories. Once it took over, she had nothing positive left to think about. Holding Quinn's hand while thinking of her parents caught her off guard. Her smile disappeared and Quinn noticed. She couldn't say anything with he guys up front so she just moved a little closer and nudged Santana's shoulder. Santana met her eye and the smile returned. Quinn decided to smile back for now, but to ask her later what caused the smile to fade from her face.

They arrived at one of Warren's chain restaurants and everyone walked inside. Quinn pulled Santana off to the side before entering. Evan turned to hold the door for them and noticed they weren't behind him. He paused for a moment before going inside without them while shaking his head sideways.

"Hey, I just want to make sure everything's okay. In the car, you were smiling and then you weren't suddenly." Quinn explained.

"I'm okay. I just had a moment."

"What kind of moment?"

"My parents." Santana walked toward the front door and held it open for Quinn to walk through.

"Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to tell me." Quinn walked toward the door, but paused before walking through.

"I'll tell you anything you want to know later, but I'm starving so let's just eat and then get back to Jasper so we can ditch the entourage and I can gets my snuggle on." Quinn smiled again and walked through the door. Santana followed. "Oh, just so you know when I was thinking about my parents, it was a happy memory." She put her hand out to stop Quinn from walking toward the table where the group was taking their seats. She moved in front of her and stood a little closer than friends would stand. "It was the first time I had a happy thought about them without also thinking about the bad stuff and that's kinda because of you."

She stared into Quinn's eyes before finally turning away with a smile and heading toward the table. Quinn looked down at the floor taking in everything Santana just told her. It may not have been much, but the girl she had spent the past few weeks falling for just told her that she was responsible for at least one moment of happiness in her otherwise unhappy existence these days. Somehow, even after the night they shared together and all the emotions they exchanged through touches and glances that meant more to her than anything else.

They shared dinner with the group while exchanging glances occasionally, but trying to at least participate in the conversations going on around them. Quinn sat across from Santana instead of next to her so as to not be tempted to put her hand on Santana's thigh and move it up by her fingertips. She thought about Santana's possible reactions to that. She'd either shift uncomfortably giving Quinn the hint to pull her hand away or her breath would hitch in her throat and her legs would part slightly on instinct while her elbows moved to rest on the table to cover the action taking place beneath it.

"Hey, new girl. You with us?" Puck called to her from his seat next to Santana. Santana was staring at her with her eyebrows raised making Quinn think that maybe she had read her dirty thoughts.

"Sorry, I guess I was just daydreaming."

"So Quinn, what are your life plans?" Evan asked as he shoved a greasy fry in his mouth.

"Um… I guess I don't really have any big life plans. Just work and family."

"You don't want to leave Jasper someday?" He asked.

"Someday, yeah. I have some family things to take care of first though."

"You should be a landscape architect or something. You do great work," Noah added.

"Um… thanks. It's not really landscape architecture though. It's just taking care of the yard. It's a side thing for my family's hardware store. It's not a long-term deal. My dad plans on hiring someone else to take care of it full-time soon. I'm really just filling in."

"He should hire Kurt." Evan recommended and pointed at the still silent boy at the end of the table. Kurt looked up and toward Quinn as he took a drink of his water with lemon. His eyes were big and as Santana glanced at him, she thought that his dainty figure would not be able to handle manual labor.

"Well, it needs to be someone who lives here."

"Kurt, you could move to Jasper, couldn't you? You like small town life."

"I'm from a small town originally." Kurt had spoken. It was soft, but words had actually emerged from his mouth.

"Hey, there he is!" Puck mocked.

"And I've been looking for a way to get away from my parents," He offered again. "Maybe not forever, but I could liven the place up a little at least while I'm here."

"I was kidding, Kurt. You would actually move _here_?" Evan said before looking at Quinn who glared at his implication about Jasper. "I mean it's great for summer fun, but it's not a place you go. It's a place you end up."

"Evan, shut the hell up!" Santana finally chimed in defensively.

"What? It's the truth. Don't get me wrong. I love taking the boat out and partying in the game room, but this town is dead. It has one street with no real restaurants. They don't even have cable. We had to get satellite and the cell phone reception is spotty at best. Who even has a landline anymore? The kitchen has a rotary phone. A rotary phone! I know even know how to use one of those things."

"You don't know how to use a lot of things. You're brain included apparently. So, just stop it." Santana looked at Quinn to gauge her reaction, but Quinn just smiled at her and shook her head sideways. She didn't seem to care that Evan was insulting her home. So, Santana decided to speak up for her, "I happen to love it here. When I was forced against my will, I thought I'd be spending the entire summer trapped in a room listening to depressing music and counting the days until I could finally get back home, but Jasper turned out to be pretty amazing. It's beautiful." She looked right at Quinn. Evan noticed. The others were only half listening while they finished their meals. She continued, "It makes me feel peaceful and safe and happy for the first time in a long time. I love it here." She looked down after her admission wondering if she had just gone too far. Quinn seemed to understand the deeper meaning behind her words and their eyes continued in their locked position. Santana felt a foot graze her covered calf and realized Quinn was trying to touch her in the only way she could do without arousing suspicion.

Evan stood abruptly and left the table without a word. Noah tried to call after him, but he was already outside.

"I could live here." Kurt was at it again.

"I'll talk to my dad if you're serious about sticking around. He's the one you'd need to convince."

"What's up with Evan?" Noah asked Santana.

"I don't know. I think I pissed him off."

"Well, go fix it then. I don't want to have to deal with it."

"Fine." Santana stood and walked toward the door. She looked back at Quinn who was following her glance. She smiled back at her. Again, they seemed to understand each other without words. Santana had never experienced anything like it before. She left the restaurant and found Evan leaning up against his car with his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"Hey, you stormed out kind of drama queen style. Puck wanted me to check on you. Since Rachel's the resident drama queen of our group and she's not here, you trying to fill in or what?" She approached cautiously not knowing his mood.

"What's going on with you, San?"

"Um…nothing. You're the one who just ran out of a restaurant mid-meal."

"We were together for a long time. I know you. You're acting different."

"I'm not acting at all. I'm just doing me. Isn't that what everyone's been begging me to do? Be the old Santana?"

"This is a new you because I've never seen you like this before."

"Like what? Happy? Because that's what I feel. I am happy. I meant what I said in there. I love it here. I feel better here. I'm not thinking about my parents every single moment of every single day and when I do, it doesn't leave me in tears in anymore. I can just think about the good things without the bad things. Can you not just be happy about that?"

"Of course I'm happy about that, but I just don't understand how being in some small town in the middle of nowhere not hanging out with your real friends, but with some stranger can suddenly make everything better for you."

"First of all, you're one to talk. You've been spending a lot of time with your own stranger." She scolded, referring to Brittany. "Secondly, everything is not just suddenly better. Lastly, she is not some stranger. She understands me better than-"

"Me?"

Santana paused realizing the implication of her response to his question.

"Yes," she finally answered. "I can't explain it and I'm not sure I want to. She gets me, Sam. She gets me better than anyone and she does it without words sometimes. I've never had that in my life. You got me when I was a freshman in college, but after a while you didn't and you definitely don't get me now. The old me and the new me together. That's who I am now and she gets all of me."

Evan looked at her for a moment before removing his hands from his pockets and crossing his arms over his chest.

"You just called me Sam. You never call me Sam and why are you comparing your ex-boyfriend to your new friend?"

"Screw you, Evan. You ask questions, but you don't want the damn answers."

His eyes said that he had put it all together.

"Are you… are you two together?"

"Evan, stop. You and I aren't together and we haven't even seen each other in months."

"Because you wouldn't see me."

Santana was getting more and more frustrated with each comment.

"Because I didn't want to, Evan. I didn't want to see you and to be honest, I still don't. I wasn't ready to have you thrust back into my life and I'm sorry if what I'm saying hurts, but you're just not getting it. I told you I fell out of love with you. I told you that it was over long before graduation and I know I should've told you sooner and I am sorry for that, but I got to a point where I no longer saw you in my life. I was going to join my dad's firm and you were going to move to Chicago or New York or some other big city. You'd meet another girl there and get married and have your babies and your happy life. I thought I'd see you at random things throughout the years with Puck and it would be awkward at first and then we'd get to a point where we could laugh about the good times we had and how we were clearly not meant to be together. That's what I saw for us way before we actually broke up. And since I already feel like a horrible person for telling you all this, I might as well add that that's what I still think. We'll get through this summer and it will be awkward, but after that you will move on with your life and meet someone. We'll see each other less and less over the years. It happens to people all the time and I think it's going to happen to us and I'm sorry. I know it's not what you thought would happen, but an explanation into why I'm acting the way I am is all I can offer you. So, there it is. I've explained myself and I'm done talking about it now."

"Wow." Evan was hurt. Santana could tell. His head was hanging with his chin touching his chest. Santana couldn't see for sure, but she thought he might have had tears in his eyes. She did feel like a horrible person, but everyone had been telling her for months that Evan deserved an explanation for the break-up. He looked up and she could see the water he was trying to keep his eyes from releasing. "What do you see for you?"

"What?" Santana wasn't expecting that question from him. She expected him to yell or storm off again, but not to ask about her plans.

"You're happy here. Will you stay here? Will you go back to your dad's firm? Will you meet someone?" He stopped and uncrossed his arms putting them back in his pockets. "Have you met someone?"

Santana remembered her earlier conversation with Quinn about keeping it just between them for the moment, but she couldn't lie to Evan and he deserved an answer.

"I don't know about the first question. I know I can't work at the firm without my dad so I'm letting his partner buy out my half. I have all this money that I knew nothing about and I have no clue what to do with it just yet. As for your other question, I think you've already figured out the answer." She looked inside the restaurant and saw Quinn laughing along with Noah about something she couldn't hear. She loved Quinn's smile. She loved her laugh and the way her nose crinkled. She loved the way she could say so much and so little at the same time. She loved their comfortable silence. She loved how Quinn loved her family. She loved how her touch managed to make her entire body tingle even it was just her fingertips. She loved… "I love her." She said it out loud as all of these thoughts crashed around her brain.

"I can tell." It was all Evan could say. He moved toward the driver's side of the car and looked back, "Would you guys mind riding with the others on the way back?"

"Ev, Brittany seems cool. You guys-"

"She's great. I like her. Doesn't change this being awkward though."

"I get it. We'll ride in the other car."

He opened the door and got in the car. Santana realized he was going to sit there until everyone was ready to leave. She took a deep breath before walking back feeling a sense of relief over take her. Evan would get his closure and she could move on without feeling like she owed him anything. She could really try this thing with Quinn, the girl who called her on her shit like lying about her favorite movie. She looked back through the window and saw the girl she loved smile again. In that moment, she was happy.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

She spotted Quinn still laughing at the table and caught her eye just as she had turned to check on Santana and Evan for the millionth time since she followed him out. Santana motioned for her to meet her outside the restaurant, but she didn't want Evan to have to see them together. Quinn understood as she seemingly always did and excused herself. She walked outside the restaurant where she noticed Evan with his head against the steering wheel of his car. She stood at the corner of the building and beckoned with her hand for Quinn to follow. They made their way to the side of the restaurant that faced a used car dealership, which was already closed. No one was around, but that didn't stop them both from taking sideways glances to make sure they were alone before Quinn finally took her hand, intertwined their fingers, and walked next to her until they saw an old picnic table that would be their destination.

Santana let Quinn's hand go as she sat herself atop the table and spread her legs so Quinn could put her body between them. Santana's hands went around her waist and her forehead rested on her chest. It was amazing to her how easy this part felt. Like most other things with Quinn, Santana felt like she just knew how to do it. She knew how to hold her, how to touch her and how to just be with her and not worry about anything else.

"I know it's only been a few hours, but I missed this." Quinn told her.

"Mmmmm. Me too." Santana muttered before looking up at Quinn who looked down and noticed how vulnerable she was in this moment.

"What did he do?" She was suddenly very angry with Evan for whatever he said to make Santana look like this. One of Quinn's arms went around Santana's neck while the other moved the stray hair behind her ear.

"Nothing. He didn't do anything. I did. I'm the bitch."

"What's wrong?" She kissed Santana's forehead.

"I was real with him. I told him why I broke up with him and that I didn't see him in my life beyond this trip that was forced on me. Also, I am a horrible person because he really is a good guy and I think maybe I just crushed him. He'd seemed so happy lately. I kind of thought he was really into Brittany and he is, but I guess he's into her, but not entirely over me so it still hurts. I've been out of this relationship a lot longer than he has. I forgot that part." Quinn moved so their foreheads could meet and she gracefully kissed Santana, who hesitantly kissed back at first, but then lost her ability to fight how amazing it felt to kiss this girl and gave in to the passion. When they finally broke apart, Santana waited for Quinn to say something, but she just sat down on the table next to her. Again, she took her hand and pulled it to her lap. She faced herself more toward Santana and her other hand rested on Santana's knee and began drawing absentminded shapes with her fingertips. Santana rested her head on her shoulder and closed her eyes.

"You are not a horrible person. I'd tell you if you were. You were honest and he deserves to know why it ended how it did and if he really is a good guy then he deserves someone who actually wants to be with him. Maybe it's Brittany. Maybe it's someone else. I'm sure he still loves you and that makes it hard, but he's going to be fine and you're going to be fine. "

"You say that like you can see the future. Do you have a superpower I don't know about?"

"We'll save that for a future conversation. I don't want to reveal all my secrets this early on. It would ruin the mystery." Quinn said and Santana opened her eyes and smiled again. She leaned in and placed a simple kiss on Quinn's neck before replacing her head. "He's going to struggle for a while, but that's not entirely about you. It's because he had this whole plan for his life and now that plan isn't going to happen. You were a big part of that, but you weren't the only part. He can still have the rest if he wants it. He just has to adjust and that takes time."

"I guess you would know about having to adjust life plans." She lifted her head and looked at Quinn.

"So would you. These past few months and this thing between us… huge life adjustment."

"So, I'm an adjustment?" Santana mocked.

"I know you know what I mean, ass." Quinn defended.

"Is it an adjustment you want to make?" Santana's vulnerability was again on the surface and Quinn felt like maybe she was the only person Santana showed this side of herself to and she loved that.

Quinn released their hands and stood up once again placing herself between Santana's legs and reaching down to cup her face.

"I know we have a lot left to figure out and that this is new and exciting, but scary at the same time. So, I will tell you what I'm thinking and we can figure out the rest later."

"Fill me in, wise one." Santana once again joked.

"I want you." Quinn said bluntly and Santana gulped at her directness. "I don't know what it means in the grand scheme of things. I don't know if that means I'm gay. I can guess or I can figure it out later, but I honestly don't care. I know that once people find out they're going to be asking us those questions and I do not have the answers, but I do know that those answers really don't matter. I don't need to defend my feelings about you to others and I don't need a label to understand how I feel." Santana was breathing deeply as Quinn's right hand moved to cover her heart. "I have no idea what's going to happen in a couple of months when you leave and that terrifies me. I know with the way things are right now that I can't go with you and I won't let you stay here for me."

"Quinn-"

"It's not an option. You don't belong here."

"I like it here."

"Name one thing about this town that you like that doesn't have something to do with me."

"A little full of yourself, aren't you?"

"Can you do it?"

Santana leaned forward and placed her hands around Quinn's neck pulling her closer.

"No."

"I don't want you to end up here because it's where I happened to live when we met."

"Listen bossy, I think that's something I get to decide since it is my life we're talking about."

"San, I know things are influx right now in your life, but you are supposed to do things that you can't do here. We don't really have a need for architects in Jasper."

"Who says I even want to still do that? Maybe I'm over it."

"Fine. We'll pretend for now that you don't want to be an architect."

"You're talking about things I haven't thought of in months, Quinn."

"I know."

"I don't want to talk about those things right now. I don't want to worry about what happens in two months. I want to be here with you. I couldn't care less about what the others might think or say. They can all screw themselves if they have a problem with this. I know how you make me feel and I know it's real. I want to spend every moment of this summer with you." She leaned in and kissed her.

"What will your friends say about that?"

"Are you listening to me, Q? I cannot express how much I do not care what they think."

"What about Noah?"

"He's my cousin. We go through phases where we love each other and then hate each other and then he does something stupid and then I do something stupid. He's like my brother though. He'll just be happy if I'm happy."

"And Evan? I saw him with his head against the steering wheel."

"Oh, there's a reason for that."

"I know."

"No, there's another reason for that. He sort of figured out about us."

Santana stood forcing Quinn to take a step back.

"He figured it out or you told him?"

"Both, but he figured it out first. I just confirmed what he already suspected. Please don't be mad." She reached out and took Quinn's hand.

"I'm not mad. I don't really know what I feel honestly."

"That doesn't sound good."

"I just mean that this is so new and it was still just the two of us. Someone else knowing makes it more real."

"Is that a bad thing?" Santana didn't know what to think about Quinn's reaction.

"No, it's not a bad thing, but I don't really want anyone else to find out yet either."

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't plan on it."

"Don't apologize. I just don't want it getting around town. This place is a rumor mill. One person finds out and it's all over town in an hour. I don't want my parents or Finn finding out because of some rumor. I don't want to diminish this. I want them to know because we were both ready to tell them."

"Okay. Whatever you say, blondie."

"Blondie? No."

"No?"

"I don't call you sweetheart and you don't call me blondie."

Santana smiled and looked around and figured it was time they head back. The group should be finished by now and she didn't want anyone to come looking for them and find them making out on a picnic table. She started to walk away and Quinn followed close behind catching up quickly.

"By the way, Evan asked us to ride back in the other car."

"Should I say something to him? I feel like I should say something to him."

Santana laughed lightly at this. "What would you say?"

"I don't know. Something about how I won't hurt you and that I lo…" She dropped off for a moment, "I know he's concerned about you. That's all."

Santana smiled shyly, "Why don't we just wait and see how the next couple of days go before you go all knight in shining armor on me?"

"Fine Fine. We'll do things your way, but don't get used to that."

They rode back in the other car. Santana was wondering how Evan was doing with Noah and Brittany now in his car. Puck and Brittany weren't really talking all that much and Santana guessed the Evan wasn't really in the flirting mood. Somehow, when they got in the SUV, Artie and Mike were in the front with Tina and Quinn while Kurt and Santana were in the back together. Santana actually missed sitting next to her new girl, but she stared out the window as Quinn and Tina started a conversation. Santana listened in at first just in case Tina said something nasty about her, but she figured after a few moments that Quinn could clearly handle herself and defend her if need be. At that thought, she felt someone nudging her leg. She looked over at Kurt who was leaning in.

"I know everyone thinks I'm weird because I don't talk a lot."

"No one thinks that." She tried to lie.

Kurt smiled, "Yeah they do. They've all said it."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's okay. I'm not really a talkative guy. Well at least not with these people, but that means I'm pretty good at listening."

"Okay?" Santana wasn't really sure where this was going, but she leaned toward him so he knew she was engaged in their first ever conversation.

"I just mean that I hear things. It's weird how it happens, but if you don't talk a lot, people kind of forget you're there and they say things they wouldn't normally say with someone else around."

"Kurt, did you hear something? I'm not in the mood to decipher a code here?"

"I try to stay out of everyone's business, but you seem like a good person and Evan told me what you've been through. Well, he talked to his mom about it and I was there eating breakfast. I just thought you should know that-"

"Kurt, Evan and I had a talk earlier. We're not getting back together."

"No, it's not about that." Kurt looked toward Quinn and Tina who were both laughing and talking and not really paying attention. He lowered his already soft voice even further and motioned for Santana to lean in closer to avoid detection. "It's about her." He motioned his index finger toward Quinn.

"What about her?"

"I think she's engaged."

"What?"

"I went into town and overheard this guy talking about his fiancé Quinn and how he's planning on the wedding taking place next spring. I doubt there are two Quinn's in this town. I'm surprised there's one Quinn in a town like this. It seems more like a Bobby and Sue kind of town to me."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Like I said, no one really notices when I'm around. I saw you two outside the restaurant. I went out to make a call and I pace when I talk on the phone. I noticed you two on the picnic table."

"Oh God."

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone, I promise. You're probably the one person here I think I could actually tolerate. It's a shame you don't spend more time with everyone because I think that would make these days go by a lot faster, but I get it now."

Santana looked up at Quinn and thought about how she couldn't believe that a few mere hours ago they had discussed not telling anyone and now two people knew their secret.

"Kurt, it's not what you think."

"You don't have to explain anything to me. I get what it's like to be one way while everyone thinks you're something else entirely." He stared right into her eyes.

"You're…" She wasn't sure who knew so she just mouthed the word to him so there was no danger in anyone else overhearing, "gay?"

"No one here knows and I'd like to keep it that way. It's one of the reasons I want to get away from my parents. My mom isn't really a fan of my lifestyle. It's kind of hard to hide it when I'm home. Normally, I'm much more fabulous than this, but she asked me not to tell Evan until after the wedding and she's locked his dad in or something. So, I'm being nice because she's paying my way through school, but-"

"Of course, but Kurt, I'm not…" again in a whispered tone.

"It's okay."

"No, I mean I'm not gay. I've never… Quinn and I just… well, I don't know, but we haven't technically done… Well, maybe I am. Maybe I _am_ gay. Oh my God, I'm gay." She was processing the words as she was saying them under her breath to try to make some sense out of all of it.

"Santana, I'm only telling you this because of what I overheard. I think the guy's name is Finn and he seemed pretty sure he was going to marry that girl. Regardless of what you are, it was pretty clear earlier that you two are at least more than friends."

Just then Quinn leaned over the back of her seat.

"Hey, you two seem to be in deep conversation. What about?"

"Kurt was just telling me he's serious about liking life in Jasper," Santana reported hoping she hadn't overstepped.

"Really?" Quinn asked.

"Yeah, I do really like it here. It would be better if I were here with people I actually know or just by myself. No offense, Tina"

Tina had just turned to join the conversation.

"None taken." Tina turned back around and leaned up toward her boyfriend who was driving.

"Hey Tina," Santana tried to get her to turn back around.

"Yeah?"

"What are your thoughts on marriage?" Santana asked. Both Quinn and Kurt looked a little surprised at the question.

"In general?"

"Yeah."

"It's good. I don't know. Why are you asking?"

"Do you think you and Mike will get married?" Santana knew she was probably heading into dangerous water with Tina by asking a question about their relationship, but she wanted to gauge Quinn's reaction at the topic of marriage.

"Someday, yeah. Why?"

"Just curious. Some people want to wait until their older and some people find the one they're meant to be with when they're young and dance around it for a while until it finally happens and they get hitched. Maybe in a backyard ceremony with just their close friends and family or something like that." She made eye contact with Quinn who just looked back at her with a confused expression.

"When I marry Mike, it's going to be a huge, traditional celebration. Our families won't allow anything less. Right, honey?" She looked back to Mike.

"Yeah, my parents are still really pissed about me wanting to be a dancer so they're not letting me off the hook for the wedding thing."

"Any other random questions you want to ask, Santana?" Tina asked her.

"No, I'm good."

Tina turned back toward the front.

"Everything okay?" Quinn asked Santana knowing Kurt was right there next to her and not wanting to reveal anything about their budding relationship.

"I don't know." Santana remarked while staring her down trying to peer into her soul through those green eyes and discover if she's hiding something about her relationship with Finn.

"Everything's fine. I was just thinking about weddings because of the one coming up with Evan's mom and my dad." Kurt covered for her. Quinn smiled at Santana and turned around to continue her earlier conversation. "I don't think now is the best time to ask your secret girlfriend about her possible fiancé, do you?" He whispered to her.

She stared at the back of Quinn's head trying not to get angry or frustrated. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. She needed answers, but Kurt was right. Now really wasn't the best time to bring it up even through subtext. She'd have to find the right moment to ask the woman she's in love with if she's marrying someone else next spring.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

They arrived back at the lake house and everyone else went inside while Quinn and Santana started to walk toward the guesthouse. Quinn spoke first.

"Hey, do you want to go somewhere?"

"We are going somewhere," she observed and pointed toward the guesthouse that still had the blinds pulled down.

"Somewhere else, smart ass."

Santana thought for a second before agreeing. She wasn't sure what was going on or where Quinn was taking her, but she knew she'd need to have a serious conversation with this girl and perhaps being in a room with her and a bed wouldn't really allow for that.

They had Mike drop them off at Quinn's parent's house so they could pick up her truck. Tina must have figured Quinn was a good enough chaperone so she resisted coming along with them for the short drive.

Santana hadn't yet ventured to this part of Jasper. Quinn pulled the truck over into a clearing in the woods. They were on the other side of the expansive lake.

"Is this where you take all your victims for the ritual slaughter?" Santana asked as the area they were in seemed eerily secluded.

"Yes. Are you ready to be my next victim?" Quinn replied with a crooked grin. "Come on, I want to show you something."

"Is it a machete?"

"No. It's the best view in town."

They got out of the truck and Quinn took her by the hand. She walked her through a patch of trees. When they emerged, Santana did see the greatest view in town. They were overlooking the entire lake and a little outlet of water that was surrounded by trees. She could see the house and the boat attached to the dock. The moon was near full and lit up the entire area as its light bounced off the blue water. The view looked like a painting of perfect countryside at night. The outlet of water was just large enough to get deep in the middle, but Santana wasn't looking at that. She was looking at Quinn who had removed her shirt to reveal her bra.

"Are you going to strip for me because I don't have any singles?" Santana joked.

"Please. Like I'd accept singles. If I ever do strip for you, you better have $20s. I'm going for a swim? Care to join me?" She said while only turning her head provocatively back to Santana.

"Hell no! That water is freezing and I learned enough from watching Titanic that you don't go into freezing water with someone you lo- With someone who's probably just going to detach your frozen hand from whatever piece of driftwood they can find to save themselves." Santana took some steps toward the shore while Quinn laughed at her dramatics.

"Trust me." Quinn's shorts were on the ground. She had entered the water.

"I'm not really much of a swimmer." Santana reluctantly removed her shirt and pants leaving them on the ground. She neatly folded them and placed one on top of the other in a way to delay the inevitable cold she was about to find herself in.

Quinn said to trust her and Santana should have because while the surface of the water was chilly, right beneath it was a warm section that as she swam out toward Quinn got deeper and deeper feeling more like a warm bath than a nighttime swim in a lake. Santana finally caught up with Quinn and wrapped her arms around her neck while Quinn put her hands on Santana's hips and then moved them slowly up and down her sides.

"Oh, I meant to tell you that I got my test score, but we've been a little busy lately."

"How did you do?" Santana asked her while pushing her soaked hair back behind her neck.

"A. All thanks to you, of course."

"Of course."

"It's not like the test really matters. I'm only taking these business classes because the shop isn't doing very well and I need to do something."

"How bad is it?" Quinn's left hand moved up to help move Santana's hair back.

"It's not horrible, but it's nowhere near good. The whole town is feeling it and when people in the town don't have money, they stop redoing their bedrooms or hiring someone just to mow their lawn or put down mulch. Everything we make goes to the house payment, dad's physical therapy, to the bank to pay off the loans we've already taken out, or back into the business. When I said we were thinking of hiring someone full time and that I was just filling in, that was pretty much a big lie. We can't really afford someone else and I work for free."

"I could help."

"You know how to make business better at Jasper Hardware?"

Santana kissed her after that comment. Her hand felt the side of Quinn's face.

"I was thinking more of a monetary assist."

"No." That was it. Quinn stated it in a definitive tone. She didn't want any of Santana's new money.

Quinn let go and walked out of the water. She grabbed her shirt and shorts and threw them on without bothering to dry off first.

"Whoa! Don't freak out. I'm sorry. I'm still getting used to this whole having money thing. I just thought I could help." Santana walked out of the water too. She threw her clothes back on as Quinn sat near the edge of the water and looked out at the lake.

"I appreciate the offer."

Santana sat down next to her. She looked at Quinn who appeared to be off in her own little world.

"Hey, where did you go?" Santana asked when she noticed that she had zoned out.

"You know this whole thing is crazy, right?" Quinn asked.

"What thing?"

"This you and me thing. It's crazy. In two months you're going back home and I'm stuck here."

"We said we weren't going to talk about that now. We can deal with it later." Santana wanted to reach out to her, but she knew it wasn't the time.

"San, stop. Think about it. It's just going to get harder the longer we go on like this."

"Why are you trying to ruin this right now? We agreed to tackle the tough shit later. Can't we just have like one conversation without talking about the future?" Santana asked a little too defensively.

"The best time of your life hasn't happened yet. Now, you've got millions of dollars to make it happen. You can do whatever you want. I've pretty much accepted the fact that the dreams I once had are over and I'm never leaving Jasper. My family needs me here and I won't leave them."

"Quinn, you're 23. You have plenty of time to do all the things you want to do. Why are you acting like you have to give the next 40 years to your family and you can't take a two hour drive to Indianapolis to see me or like I can't come here? I did the long-distance thing with Evan for years. It's really not that big of a deal."

"You and I both know how brief life is and how quickly it can all be taken away." Quinn stated while staring out at the water as if she hadn't heard anything Santana just said.

Santana stopped to think about how right she was. It was almost 6 months ago when she was taking pictures in her cap and gown, celebrating with her parents and getting ready to take on the world working for her dad possibly with Evan by her side and now she was in Jasper, Indiana, her parents were gone, and she was in love with a beautiful yet sometimes aggravating girl.

"What if you came with me? Moved to the city? I know you don't want my stupid money, but we could use it to take care of your family and you could go to school in the city. We could visit down here all the time. Your parents would be able to get back on their feet and you could go to law school like you've always wanted. We could go on fancy vacations. Bring your family to some and not others since I'll want time alone with you and-"

"You're living in a fantasy world, Santana. That stuff only works in the movies."

"What the hell do you want me to say, Quinn? What do I have to do to get you to think that this can work?" She paused as she looked at her. "Do you even want this to work? It's been a day and you're already trying to get out of it. If you're not in this thing, then tell me now so I can move the hell on because I'm not about trying to force something on someone who doesn't think it can work. I've never worked so hard for something in my damn life and this thing is like 24-hours old."

Quinn's head quickly turned. She moved into her. She rested her forehead against Santana's shoulder.

"I want this to work. I told you that ever since you got here, I've felt like… I don't know… like I am supposed to be with you. I wasn't sure what that meant at first."

"I feel that too." Santana put her hand on the back of Quinn's head as Quinn lifted it up and looked her in the eye.

"It's real, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's real. That's what I'm trying to tell you, dumb ass." Santana knew that this was a serious moment, but she couldn't resist interjecting a lighter moment into it. She was possibly about to lose the only person in her life that has made it even worth living since she lost her parents. "I know this isn't going to be easy and I know I'm living in that fantasy world where everything works out and we all live happily ever after, but I want that. I want you. I need you in my life and a while ago if you would have asked me if that was possible, I would have told you no and that you were a crazy person, but these past few weeks, knowing you, spending time with you, not being able to sleep or think because I can't stop thinking about you, and then finally being with you last night… you make me feel that anything is possible. Like I can have my life back."

Quinn listened intently to Santana's speech all while staring directly into her eyes. She hesitated before responding. She wasn't sure which route to take.

"You kinda like me a little bit, huh?"

Santana put her hand again behind Quinn's head and she laid her back on the ground. She moved on top of her. Her hair fell over her face.

"No, I kinda love you. Don't' freak out on me again though."

Quinn left her arms where they were on the ground. She contemplated for a moment. She could just get up and leave. She could end this right now and save herself the pain of watching Santana leave at the end of the summer.

"I kinda love you too," she said instead. "I don't have a big, fancy speech prepared or anything-"

"I don't need a big speech. I just need you not to freak out on me again."

"Are you sure you want to do this? At the end of the summer, you're still getting in your aunt's car and driving north. I'll still be working the yards and sitting in a bookstore night after night cramming for my next business exam. You'll invest your money in some new architecture firm where you'll design things and over time you'll forget about your summer here and you'll forget about that summer love you once had with that girl whose name you won't remember."

"Shut up. I see it happening a little differently."

"Well-" Quinn began.

"We'll figure it out, okay? We'll figure it out. God! Until we do, I just want to spend time together and-"

"I know. We will."

They spent a couple of hours in that spot. Quinn grabbed a blanket from the truck and laid it on the ground. Santana lay on top of it and Quinn rested her head on her stomach so that they were like a perpendicular shaped T. They didn't say much to each other because they didn't need to. They had left everything up in the air. Neither knew what the future held, but they had to be okay with that for now because if they weren't then they both knew it would end before it really had even begun. That night, Santana and Quinn slept in their own bedrooms. Each of them staring at their respective ceiling and thinking of the other. Santana didn't want to separate, but she thought that given the day's events, a night apart might be a good idea. They could each do a little figuring out on their own and Santana hadn't yet figured out how to bring up the Finn situation. She wasn't sure why he thought Quinn was his fiancé when Quinn said they had broken up for the last time a long time ago. Maybe it was a misunderstanding between the two of them or maybe Santana had misunderstood Quinn. She wasn't sure, but a lot of that figuring out she tried to do involved practicing ways to bring up the topic when the two had lunch the next day. Now definitely wasn't the right time. She needed to take her own advice and just enjoy these moments instead of worrying about the obstacles.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

"San, you coming along today or are you ditching us for the gardener?" Puck sat on the end of her bed. He had let himself in and had Santana's headphones in his ears apparently listening to one of her play lists.

"Go away," Santana replied groggily. She tossed a pillow in his direction. He intercepted it before it did any real damage and threw it back at her face. "Puck, I'm sleeping. Take a damn hint."

"Mom called yesterday and asked if you were socializing like a normal person. I told her you were socializing just not with any of your friends."

At this, Santana sat up. Her eyes still half closed, but not because she had just been woken from a deep sleep. They were slit with anger.

"Am I not allowed to have friends outside of this little group you formed? Seriously Puckerman. I don't even know Brittany or Kurt that well. Tina hates me. Mike can't talk to me because Tina hates me and Artie is so wrapped up in his upcoming trip to Yale that he won't talk about anything else while he walks around with his phone making everything here a damn video. Come on, like he's going to end up a lawyer. The guy has Final Cut Pro on his laptop like he's Martin freaking Scorcese."

"Yeah, that is getting kind of annoying," Noah agreed with his cousin. He pulled the headphones out of his ears and tossed the player aside. "I just want to make sure you're doing okay. I worry about you."

"I know you do. Everyone does."

"It's not the same with everyone else. You're like my sister. I know I call Evan my best friend, but you know you really are my best friend."

"I know," Santana responded happy to finally see the Noah she loved emerge.

"This Quinn girl, what's up with that? Why have you been hanging with her?"

And just like that, the new and improved Noah was gone.

"Puck!" Santana was over it.

"No, I don't mean it that way. I'm not talking about her job or whatever. I just mean what is it about her that makes you want to hang with her? You don't really even know her."

"I do know her. And what she does for a living is for her family. You know, she's taking care of all of them and going to school. That's more than you've ever done."

"She's older than us, right?"

"She's 23. She turns 24 in August."

"Wow, you already know her birthday?"

"Yeah, I know her damn birthday. She asked when mine was so I thought I'd ask when hers' was. I'm trying to be normal, remember?"

"You gonna buy her a present?" He asked in a mocking tone while he moved himself so he was lying next to Santana on her bed.

"You're annoying." Santana moved off the bed and walked toward the bathroom.

"You're good though, right? Hanging with her today? Do you want us to come get you when we go out?"

"On the boat again?" She asked while grabbing old jeans, a T-shirt, and Quinn's Harvard sweatshirt.

"No, we're heading up to Indy. Everyone needs a night away from this place. I don't know what I was thinking coming down here for the whole summer. It's fun and all, but I need a good party town every now and then too. We're hitting a couple of the college bars. Plus, I need to get away from Brittany. Maybe I'll find another girl to bring back."

"And where is this one going to sleep? Your ass is already on the couch. Maybe you should bunk with Kurt and Evan can take your old spot in the bed next to her." Santana laid the sweatshirt on the bed so she would remember to grab it before she left.

"Gross. It's one thing for him to hit it. It's a whole other thing to talk about it, San. If he wants her though, he can have her. She talks about her cat a lot. Like a lot, a lot. I don't like that Kurt guy. He doesn't talk at all and I think I've caught him checking out my abs when we're on the boat a couple of times. Plus, he subscribes to Cosmo. Cosmo, San!"

"And after your little tirade, I think I'll stay here. Not sure I really want to ride in a car with any of you and a ride with Tina and Mike would be about as awkward. I'll pass. Besides, Quinn and I are getting lunch and I'm spending the day at the hardware store. She's got a test in her other class she needs help with." That last part was a lie. Quinn was only taking one class, but Santana felt she needed to justify why she would spend an entire day in a hardware store when she had really never been to one before her time in Jasper.

"Fine. If mom calls, I'll tell her you're staying here, but you at least plan on leaving the house and speaking to a human today."

"Thanks, loser."

"And you might not want to let Artie catch you in that Harvard sweatshirt. That'll start a whole other Yale versus Harvard debate and I have a two-hour car ride with him. Since when do you like Harvard anyway?"

"It's Quinn's. She let me borrow it. Besides, I think Cambridge is a great city."

"You went there once like a million years ago. You spent most of your time in Boston."

"They're a river apart. They look the same. The architecture there is amazing."

Noah was walking toward the door. He intended to leave, but stopped and got serious again upon Santana's last comment.

"You're interested in architecture again?"

"I never stopped being interested."

"You said you didn't want anything to do with it before we got here."

"Well, I guess I am re-evaluating," Santana replied confidently.

"Well, I guess I will leave you to that then." He opened the screen door that still had the shade pulled revealing the sunny day behind it. "If it makes you feel better, I like what she's doing to you."

"What?" Santana was caught off guard.

"You seem better since you met her. Before you got here, you weren't talking to me or Rachel and you live with her. You dumped Ev and you couldn't even look at my mom and you don't have to explain that. I get it. She looks just like your mom. But now, you've found someone you can talk to. I wish it could be me and I know Rachel, mom, and Evan wish it could be them too, but at least you have someone."

"Noah, you really are a good guy when you want to be."

"Don't say that. I've got one more summer of being a jack ass before I'm stuck in suits every day and I have to carry a Blackberry."

And with that, Noah was out the door mimicking holding a phone to his ear with his extended fingers.

On her walk to the diner, she finally noticed her first horse and buggy. An older man was holding the reigns and it looked as though it was his wife of many years sitting next to him. Santana wondered if they could be Quinn's grandparents. She put the thought out of her mind as she approached the beginning of town.

"Santana? It's Santana, right?" Finn had exited the market with a couple of bags and noticed her.

"Yeah, hey Finn," Santana replied unenthusiastically because of Kurt's revelation.

"Where you headed?"

"The diner. I'm meeting Quinn."

"Well, let me drop these off with my uncle. He's in the feed store now and then I can join you."

"Oh well, I think we were just…" Santana was cut off.

"Give me one minute." He turned off the sidewalk and walked into the street.

Santana regretted not saying anything to him. She wanted to tell him that she wanted to be alone with Quinn. She wanted to say that they were dating or that they were together. She honestly didn't know what they were to each other. They hadn't had that label conversation yet, but she knew she couldn't have a real conversation with Quinn about anything with Finn there and she worried that because of that she would end up more as the third wheel than as the one part of a couple.

Santana walked to the diner and opened the door. Quinn was leaning over the counter in her usual short wife beater and capris. She was talking with the waitress who was behind the counter. Santana stared at her for several seconds before Quinn turned toward her.

"Hey, why didn't you let me pick you up? We've talked about this whole walking thing." Quinn greeted sweetly. She stood with her hands tucked into her back pockets so that her elbows just pointed out to the sides in a nervous pose.

"Finn's coming," Santana told her.

"What?" Quinn walked over to an empty table and Santana followed.

"I just ran into him. He asked where I was going. He's dropping something off with his uncle and then he's eating with us."

"Oh, I thought it was just going to be us." Quinn sounded disappointed.

"I didn't invite him. Trust me." Santana sounded a little jealous. She didn't mean to. It just came out.

"Do you want me to tell him it's just the two of us today? I will." Quinn had noticed Santana's contempt for Finn from the moment she introduced them. She recognized it easily because that was how she felt about Evan despite Santana telling her it was long over.

"Won't that make him a little suspicious?"

They sat down at their table and Quinn looked out the window, her eyes following Finn as he walked toward the door.

"He's my best friend and I would like him to get to know you, but if you want it to just be us right now, I will happily tell him to leave us alone and we can do the getting to know each other part some other time."

"It's fine. He's your best friend and I do want to get to know him. It's just… he's not just your best friend."

"He's my ex. I get it. Listen, before he gets here, I was hoping that I could take you somewhere for your birthday. I know it's in a couple of weeks, but I don't want to plan something if you can't do it."

"Afternoon, ladies." Finn plopped unceremoniously next to Quinn and slung his arm over the back of the booth immediately making Santana the third wheel at this lunch. "Did I hear correctly? Do you have a birthday coming up, Santana?"

"Uh, yeah. It's in about two weeks."

"Cool. We should have a party or something. We could do it at the cove." He grabbed the ice water that the waitress had placed in front of Quinn and took a long drink. Santana knew she was giving him a definitive glare, but she didn't really care.

"I don't think Santana wants a party at the cove. I'm sure her friends have something planned for her." Quinn explained while giving Santana the "just go with it" look.

"Yeah, my cousin's been planning something for a while now, but thanks for the offer," she lied.

"Well I'm sure your friends throw a good party, but we're kind of the experts here in Jasper. We don't have much else to do."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Santana heard the bell above the front door and she turned to see a man carrying a large bag of something on one shoulder and holding the door open with his body.

"Finn, I need you back. We have a lot to unload."

"I'll meet you at home."

"Finn, get your ass in the car. You can flirt with Quinn later. Hey Quinn."

Quinn just nodded her hello as Finn rose from the booth a little embarrassed that his uncle is breaking up his lunch date.

"Sorry, Quinn. Duty calls. Gotta go."

"That's okay. I've got Santana to keep me company." She smiled and crinkled her nose the way Santana liked and Finn walked off without much of a goodbye in her direction. After he was gone, Quinn ordered them both breakfast since she knew the best items on the menu. They talked generalities until the food arrived and then Quinn changed the subject.

"Did Noah really plan a party?"

"He promised he'd keep it low key, but he wants to do something. It's the first birthday since my parents died."

"Could you get away at all? I want some time alone with you on your birthday. I was hoping I could take you somewhere special."

"Somewhere we could have birthday sex?" Santana proposed. Quinn laughed that comment off and Santana continued, "Probably. I could make an appearance and then say I'm tired or something. You aren't planning anything crazy, are you?"

"Nothing crazy. I haven't worked out all the details yet so I'm going to keep it a surprise for now. I already took your birthday off and the day after too."

"Two days off in a row? Plus, you called in sick the other day. The people of Jasper must think I'm a terrible influence on you."

"Wait till they find out what we do when we're alone."

Santana laughed. "Speaking of… when can we do that again or more specifically when can we do more than that?" Santana gulped loudly. She was sure Quinn heard it.

Quinn leaned in after looking around the semi-deserted restaurant. She decided she wasn't close enough and moved to the other side of the booth putting her arm over the back of it and around Santana who leaned in, but not so closely as to arouse suspicion.

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Whatever you're doing tonight."

Quinn pushed strands of hair behind Santana's ear while Santana thought about how she could let Quinn do that forever.

"How about we go to the store so I can put in some work and you can put in some watching me work and looking all sexy while you do it and then after that we can go to my place and you can stay the night?"

"I might need to go back to the guesthouse first to get some things."

"San, you're dating a girl, remember? I have all those things and you can just borrow clothes. In fact, I think I'd kind of like to see you wear my clothes."

"You don't want to see me wear no clothes?" Santana teased as she moved her hand to Quinn's thigh somewhat under the table. She slowly slid it up while her other hand moved behind Quinn's knee which was hanging over the seat. Quinn closed her eyes as her face turned a deep shade of red.

"Is that an option tonight? I thought we were waiting."

"We can wait. I have no problem waiting for you, but I don't know, I just feel like I know what I want and I know I want you. As. Soon. As. Possible." She said definitively as her hand moved from Quinn's thigh up to graze her stomach under her shirt.

"We should get out of here," was all Quinn could say. With the exception of the night in Santana's guesthouse, she had never been more turned on and she knew it was showing. Anyone with eyes could see these two were more than flirting. Unfortunately, her gratification would have to be delayed because her dad was expecting her at work.

Quinn was unloading the new inventory in the back stockroom. Santana was flipping through a book on floor tiling while occasionally looking up at Quinn who looked stressed at trying to organize everything in such a small space. The bell over the door rang. Quinn leaned back to check to see that her father was taking care of the customer.

"Mr. Diggory. Dad hates him. He comes in every week and it's always the same argument. Prices are too high. Product selection isn't good enough. Yet he buys something every single time. Dad will be busy for a while." Quinn went back to her organizing. Santana dropped the book back on top of the pile she'd pulled it from. She double-checked that Quinn's dad was indeed occupied. The argument had started already as they made their way down one of the aisles and out of sight. Santana kicked the doorstop away and locked the door as it closed. She sat back down on her pile of crates in the corner.

"Quinn?"

"Huh?" She didn't look away from her task.

"The door's closed."

"Yeah."

"And your dad is busy up front."

Quinn looked over to her before smirking. She moved closer and Santana's hand went around her waist. Immediately, Quinn pulled Santana up and they were kissing passionately. Santana moved her hands under Quinn's shirt and began to pull it off when there was a knock at the door. They froze for a second before they separated and Quinn pulled her shirt back down. Santana went back to her book and tried to slow her heavy breathing.

"Quinn, open the door." Her dad ordered and Quinn unlocked it and pulled it toward her. "Why was the door locked? It's never locked."

"Don't know. Must have locked itself. Maybe you should take a look at it later."

"Tomorrow. I'm headed to Warren now. Diggory didn't put up much of a fight today, thank God. If no one else comes in, go ahead and close up early. No sense in wasting the day when we have no customers."

"Okay."

"And Santana, when are you coming back for dinner? Quinn's mom has been asking about you."

"She's coming this Saturday." Quinn answered for her.

"I'll be there." Santana confirmed.

"Good. We'd like to get to know you a little bit better. You're the first person Quinn's spent a significant amount of time with outside of Finn."

He wheeled back toward the front door leaving Quinn and Santana alone.

"That was close."

"A little too close," Quinn agreed.

"Sorry. I didn't mean for him to almost catch us. You said-"

"It's okay." She moved back toward Santana on the crates and leaned in for another kiss. "So, do you think it's been a few minutes yet?"

"Definitely."

"Let's close up and get out of here. I'm going to take you home and cook you dinner."

Santana stood and took her hand as they moved toward the front of the store to close up shop. She was sure there was a wicked grin splashed across her face.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

A little later they were in Quinn's apartment. Quinn was in the open kitchen preparing a chicken dish she said her mom taught her how to make and she swore she wouldn't be able to make as good, but Santana told her she didn't care. Santana sat on the couch for a while because Quinn refused to let her help, but she was growing restless watching her look so cute in an apron chopping vegetables while humming to the music that was playing throughout the room. She made her way over and stood behind Quinn wrapping her arms around her waist immediately pushing the shirt up so she could feel her bare skin.

"I told you to stay over there." Quinn reported as she continued to chop.

"I'm not helping. I'm just holding." She rested her head against Quinn's shoulder before picking it up again to kiss her on the cheek. She felt Quinn smile at that and her mouth made its way to her neck where she began to kiss and feeling bolder moved her hand down to Quinn's belt loops. Her mouth moved to her shoulder and she felt Quinn's breath hitch. She moved to the other side of her neck and repeated her movements. Her other hand moved as if on its own further under Quinn's shirt until it was cupping her right breast over her bra.

"Jesus." Quinn whispered as her head rolled back and she dropped her knife. "Not that I'm complaining, but I can't exactly focus on dinner when you're doing that."

Santana didn't stop her hand as it massaged while the other one moved to Quinn's back to untie the apron. Quinn lifted it over her head on her own and tossed it on the floor. She put her hands on the counter to hold up her wobbling legs. Santana's hand moved to the hem of the shirt and pulled up lightly. Quinn took the hint and pulled it up too. Santana's other hand immediately found the other breast and now both of them were working on the nipples she could feel hardening beneath Quinn's black bra. Her mouth wanted more than just shoulders and neck though so she removed her hands placing them on Quinn's hips and pulling her around to face her.

"You haven't even started the chicken yet." She moved her hands to Quinn's bra straps and slowly pulled them down kissing the places they had previously occupied. "We could always have dinner later." She kissed her. "Much, much later." She kissed her more deeply as she reached around to unclasp the piece of clothing in her way. She was gaining in confidence. Somehow she knew that even though she'd never done this before, she was safe with Quinn.

"God, you make me crazy." Quinn admitted. Santana smiled as she threw the bra somewhere in the living room. She moved her head down as her hands went around Quinn's waist. She started kissing and licking and sucking Quinn's breasts making sure to spend equal time on each. She felt a throbbing between her legs and recognized that her underwear was now soaked through. She moved her hands to Quinn's pants. They hovered over the button and zipper. She looked up to meet Quinn's eyes. Her hands were still holding her up against the counter. She nodded. Santana undid the button while she kissed around the bellybutton and moved her tongue slowly around it before licking straight down as she also unzipped her pants. She pulled them down and could immediately see how wet Quinn was. She placed a kiss above her center before Quinn's hands were suddenly around her neck and pulling her back up so she could pull her in for a heated kiss. Santana pushed her back a little and Quinn understood. She climbed onto the countertop pushing the cutting board back as she did. Santana's body pushed itself between her spread legs and Quinn settled her center against Santana's stomach.

"This has to come off now." Quinn pulled Santana's shirt off forcefully and made quick work of the bra that fell to the growing pile of clothes. She undid the buttons on Santana's jeans before quickly unzipping them. Santana pulled back just enough to pull them down and kick them off before moving back into Quinn. She loved feeling Quinn's wetness against her. It was foreign to feel another girl against her body like this, but she was loving it. She needed more. Quinn's hands moved beneath her underwear to grasp her ass. Santana moaned as Quinn pushed them even closer together. Quinn moaned back because that friction had felt so good.

"Bed. Now." Quinn ordered and Santana smirked in compliance liking when Quinn takes the lead. Santana moved back once again and Quinn jumped off the counter. Their kisses were sloppy and everywhere as Quinn backed Santana onto her bed. The pile of pillows got in the way until Santana swiped them off with her hands. Quinn was on top of her as Santana backed herself up toward the top of the bed. Quinn looked down at the girl beneath her trying to take in the whole picture. Her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath and Quinn loved watching it rise and fall. She looked down further and could tell how much Santana wanted this. She met her eyes while she moved her hand down to Santana's center cupping it over her underwear causing Santana to jerk her whole body up. She lifted herself up and back as she slowly pulled the underwear off. Santana had her vulnerable face on and Quinn knew it was because she was the only one who was completely naked. She stood at the end of the bed and pulled off her own article before quickly returning to her spot above Santana.

"I love you." Quinn said softly as she moved her hand between Santana's thighs pushing them apart. She rested herself between them and felt their bodies connect without clothing for the first time. Santana froze. Quinn was trying to read her face, but couldn't. It was a mix of shock and awe. "We can stop. We don't have to do this tonight."

Santana came out of her stupor and smiled. "I love you too and I don't want to stop. I've just… its never felt this good and nothing's even happened yet. Also, I kind of pictured myself on top in all my fantasies, but it feels pretty good just like this."

At that moment, Quinn moved her hand back between Santana's legs. "I want to feel you." She moved her fingers to the spot she knew Santana would appreciate and moved them slowly in circles. Santana's eyes closed at this and Quinn watched her reaction before moving her mouth to her earlobe. Her fingers kept that steady pace, but she started moving her hips up and down with only a little force. "God, you feel so good." Her lips moved back to meet Santana's, but they could barely keep the kiss going because Santana was having trouble breathing. "Can I…" Quinn couldn't finish her sentence.

"Yes, whatever it is, yes." Santana granted permission and Quinn moved two fingers over Santana's entrance moving them in circles before lightly pushing them inside. "Fuck." Santana half-screamed. Quinn continued to move her hips as her fingers began to move inside. It was a new sensation for both of them, but Quinn felt like she was finally doing what she wanted to do. Gay. Gay. Gay. That's all she could think for a second. She definitely liked women. By Santana's reaction, she guessed she was thinking the same thing.

"I don't think I've ever heard you swear like that before." She smiled before moving down to kiss Santana's breasts.

"You've never done _this_ to me before."

Quinn's pace picked up as did Santana's breathing. Her hips started rocking in sync with Quinn's. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hang on and then Quinn's thumb met her clit with a swipe and she knew she was already close. She felt fingers curl inside her as Quinn thrust them in and out over and over. Quinn's mouth was moving further south and Santana knew where she was headed. She was trying to keep herself from losing it because she couldn't wait to feel Quinn's tongue on her…

"Oh my God! Don't stop." Quinn's mouth was exactly where she needed it to be. Santana hadn't thought they'd be doing this part so quickly. She'd been told by one of her friends in college that this was something that usually comes later as it is more intimate than just using your fingers. She figured they'd talk about it first and then take it slow to make sure they were both comfortable with it, but Quinn was already doing it before Santana could even think to bring it up. Her tongue was gentle at first swiping left and right as her fingers picked up their pace hitting her spot in rhythm. Quinn's tongue moved in circles before Quinn engulfed her clit with her mouth and began sucking. She could feel Santana's muscles clench around her fingers while her clit swelled and throbbed around her mouth. Quinn appeared to be in a frenzy as if she wanted to do everything she'd be wanting to do for years all at once and Santana didn't have a problem with that. For a first timer, it appeared Quinn really knew what she was doing and Santana started to worry that she wouldn't be able to make Quinn feel this good later. She tried to push that out of her mind though so she could continue to focus on the feelings her body was experiencing. Evan had never made her feel this good. In nearly four years of having sex, she had never trembled like this.

Quinn's free hand made its way up to Santana's breast as it massaged it and Santana finally realized that she had yet to move her hands, which were clutching handmade quilts around her. She moved one hand on top of Quinn's to encourage the massage her breast was getting. She moved the other to the back of Quinn's head grasping her hair. Santana's hips bucked up and Quinn's head went with them. She was frozen in that position for a second just trying to keep herself in this moment for as long as possible. Quinn kept her mouth on Santana's clit to help her keep the moment going while her hips slowly moved downward. When she could feel Santana coming back down, she licked up everything she could causing Santana to jerk and twitch. Quinn didn't want to move. She knew her body was craving the same experience, but she couldn't move. She hadn't planned on going down on her tonight. She thought they'd wait for that part, but just feeling Santana with her fingers got her so wet and she started thinking about how she really wanted to eat her out. So, she just went for it. She wanted to do it again and again and didn't care if they took turns. She looked up at Santana without moving from her position. Santana's eyes were still closed and her head was back against the pillow. Quinn waited another moment before moving her hand covertly back down to Quinn's entrance. Santana's eyes opened at that.

"Quinn, what…?"

Quinn's fingers that she had removed were being pushed back inside her.

"I can't yet. God, that's so good." Her eyes were open this time and they met Quinn's as she moved up her body.

"I want to see you this time." Her pace quickened and her hips pushed. It was as if Quinn couldn't stop yet. She had wanted to do this for so long. Not just with Santana, but she had these feelings about other women for a while and she'd never been able to experience them. With Santana, it was even more intense because she knew she loved her. Santana was already close and it didn't take long for her to once again feel the most intense orgasm of her life. Quinn waited until it was over before trying to remove her fingers, but Santana's hand grasped her wrist before she could.

"Please, just keep them there."

"Okay."

"It's just-."

Quinn kissed her.

"It's okay." Quinn understood and she hovered over Santana for what felt like only seconds, but was probably more like several minutes until her wrist started to hurt from the angle. "Baby…"

"Go ahead." Santana moved her hand back down and helped Quinn pull out her hand. It already felt like she was missing a part of her body. She figured out a way to solve that problem though and it involved rolling Quinn over so that her back was against the bed.

"You don't have to-" Quinn uttered as Santana spread her legs and took her place between them.

"You seem to be under the impression that I either don't want to do this or am not ready to do this, but if you remember correctly," she kissed her neck and moved to whisper in her earlobe, "I'm the one who started it." Her hand moved as if on its own to Quinn's core. "God, you're right. This does feel good." Quinn smiled between gasps as Santana began slowly touching her in all the right places. It wasn't long before she was feeling as if she was about to burst.

"Are you sure you've never done this before? You seem to know what you're doing down there."

Santana's head popped up from between Quinn's legs and they made eye contact briefly before she returned to what she was doing with a laugh against Quinn's clit causing the girl to buck her hips into Santana's mouth. She felt a sense of relief come over her because she was able to please Quinn the same way Quinn was able to please her.

"God San, please don't stop." Santana's tongue went flat and moved from her entrance upward before she flicked it side to side and with that, she came undone. "Jesus, yes! God! Fuck!" There were a few more expletives, but Santana couldn't really hear them because Quinn's thighs had clenched uncontrollably around her ears. Santana was finally able to lift her head and she sat up to straddle Quinn who now had her hands on Santana's chest as Santana rocked herself on her stomach. It was as if she wanted it now more than ever before and Quinn didn't need to hear her say it because her hand moved down and two fingers were quickly inserted into Santana's body.

"Yes!" Santana was rocking harder and faster while she leaned in to kiss Quinn over and over. Her hand moved down to Quinn's chest before sliding to caress her stomach and then down further until…

"Oh my God!"

"I want to do this together." Santana moved back to get a better position so that they could come together. It was a quick pace at first until Quinn started moving her fingers in a circular motion inside Santana and Santana couldn't believe how good that felt. She duplicated the action inside Quinn as best she could at that angle and they slowed their pace to enjoy the new sensations they were discovering together. They seemed to be learning their partner's bodies rather quickly because just as Quinn leaned forward with her other arm around Santana for support while her mouth attached itself to Santana's nipple, they both came again.

"I can barely breathe right now. Is it wrong that I already want to do that again?" Quinn finally spoke before kissing her again. "It's like I just discovered something about myself that I never knew. Suspected, but didn't know for sure."

"I don't think that can ever be wrong and by that do you mean that you like having sex with girls?" Santana spread her legs so Quinn could rest between them and then pulled her head down so she could rest it on her forehead.

"Ha! Well, at least I know I love sex with you, but yes, it's a girl thing too."

"I will do that with you over and over again, but I think we should take a little break first. I need to hydrate. That's the most intense workout I've had in a long time."

"I really don't want to move right now and I really don't want you to move right now, but in the interest of doing this over and over, I will get you whatever you want." Quinn leaned in and kissed Santana's neck before lifting herself to hover over her.

"What if what I want is for you to let me help you make dinner so that it gets done faster and we can get back to this?" She motioned with her finger between the two of them.

"I want to cook _you_ dinner. That doesn't really work if you help."

"What if we are both naked?"

"Then, I doubt much cooking is going to get done."

"What if I put on some of your clothes and go down to the bookstore to meander while you cook? That should keep me from distracting you while you make me dinner."

Quinn sat up and smiled. "I really don't like the idea of sending you away or putting clothes _on_ your body right now, but if it's food you want, I think your suggestion is our best option."

Santana thought about not moving for a while. She wasn't sure her body could, but she did need a break and with Quinn naked in bed with her, that wasn't going to happen. She could already feel her body craving more contact, but she also needed to be able to walk tomorrow.

A few minutes later, Quinn had on an oversized t-shirt barely covering anything while Santana proceeded down the stairs after receiving a goodbye kiss and putting on a pair of Quinn's shorts and yet another Harvard shirt. It was then that she realized that the bookstore was technically still open and that Quinn's kid sister was at the helm reading a magazine.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

"So you and my sister?" she queried without looking up from her reading.

"What?" Santana was caught. How was there no door at the top of those stairs? How long had she been down here? They came in the back way and went immediately up the stairs, which were obscured by the stacks. They hadn't even noticed her or thought about the fact that the store was open for business. Had she heard everything?

"I guess she and Finn _are really_ over, huh?"

"Oh God." Santana hung her head down to her chest as she proceeded toward the counter.

"Yeah, I heard that part already. Gross, by the way."

"Beth, I'm so sorry. We weren't thinking." Santana arrived at the counter and Beth finally looked up to meet her eye.

"You don't have to apologize to me. I'll admit when I realized what was going on up there, I wanted to vomit, but I put on my headphones and went into the office so I couldn't hear anything else. I would have left, but the store's kind of open so…."

"Well, thanks, but it still doesn't change what you heard."

"_Well_, I would have preferred to hear about you two another way, but it's cool. "

"It is?" Santana was more than a little surprised.

"Yeah, I like you. You seem cool. Much cooler than Finn. I'm super open minded about stuff like this. Have to be if I'm going to move to LA. You also seem to really like my sister, which even though she gets on my nerves sometimes, she deserves someone who treats her right."

"Yeah, she does." Santana tried to lighten the situation.

"Since my brother died and my dad ended up in the chair, she's taken on a lot. I was too young to really do anything when it happened, but I know what she gave up for us. My parents do too and they regret her having to make those decisions. She's just been going through the motions recently… just trying to keep the business going and make sure the bills are paid. She even convinced Mr. Clemmons to pay for her business class by telling him it will help her run the store better."

"Sounds like her."

"She's happy with you. I can tell. She smiles a lot now."

"You're not at all freaked out by the fact that we're both girls?"

"Please. I couldn't care less about that stuff. Neither do my parents if you're curious. They voted for Obama."

"Speaking of your parents…"

"I won't say anything to them. She's my sister. I love her. On that note, she's my sister and I love her."

"You just said that."

"I know. What I mean is that if you hurt her I will have to kill you." She shut her magazine before pressing a few buttons on the register to pop the drawer out. Santana smiled and laughed lightly. "Quinn is the best big sister in the world and she's lost stuff. You're a summer tourist. You're going to leave her behind when you go and she doesn't deserve that."

"I love her."

"Doesn't change the fact that you're leaving and she's staying."

"We still have some details to work out before then."

"Make sure you do because I really don't want to see my sister heartbroken." She took the drawer and began moving to the office. "Lock the door, will ya? Time to close up shop. I'm going to count this out in the office with my headphones on and the door closed, but if you could just wait 20 minutes before doing my sister again so I can get out of here, I would really appreciate it. I've already been traumatized enough for a lifetime."

Santana again hung her head on her chest in embarrassment. The office door closed behind Beth and Santana honestly had no idea what to do. She locked the door as requested and then turned to look at the stacks of books in front of her. She had promised not to be a distraction so she felt she should stay down here at least until Beth left and then she would go back upstairs and tell Quinn over dinner that her sister had heard their moans, gasps, and swear words. She made her way over to the architecture section and noticed the book written by her father was no longer there. They must have moved it to the clearance rack, she thought to herself before continuing to peruse the stacks. She selected a book from a row and found the old armchair in the corner to sit in while flipping through it. After a while, she heard footsteps from the office and waved a quick goodbye to Beth as she left out the back way. She returned to her book only for a moment before she heard Quinn coming down the stairs. She looked up to make sure Beth was indeed gone and saw that Quinn had thrown on a pair of shorts for the trip downstairs since there were windows in the storefront that anyone could see through.

"I miss you." Quinn announced while holding her arms out wide for Santana to walk into. They embraced before walking back up the steep staircase. The table was set with lit candles and there was a vase of fake flowers in the middle. Both plates already had food on them and the wine was already poured.

"Quinn, you didn't have to do this." Santana walked over to the table to admire her girl's work.

"I guess you could say tonight is my version of our first real date. This is dinner and later there will be a show." She lifted one of her eyebrows while she smiled and Santana returned the look walking back into her arms, but this time turning herself around so Quinn could put her arms around her and set her head on her shoulder while they both looked on.

"Actually, I think it's more like a show, dinner, and then an encore."

Quinn smacked her lightly on her stomach and let her go so she could pull out the chair for her and motioned for her to sit. "I don't want to rush you or anything, but when I see you wearing my short shorts and looking how you do right now with that sexy bed head, it kind of makes me what to skip dinner all together. It's like now that we've had sex, it's all I want to do. I don't know how much longer I can keep my hands off you."

"Shit." Santana sat and looked down while Quinn was walking toward her chair. She sat.

"That wasn't exactly the reaction I had hoped for."

"No, that's not… I have to tell you something."

"Okay."

"Your sister…"

"Shit." Quinn's face turned a deep shade of red and looked shocked at the same time. "Beth was downstairs in the store."

"Yeah."

"She heard us."

"Yeah."

"I completely forgot she was here."

"Yeah."

"Is she still here? I should go talk to her."

"She just left."

"So, you talked to her?"

"I swear I'm trying to keep us a secret, but people keep finding out. I'm like that Snowden guy and us being together is an NSA top level secret I keep putting out there."

"This one's on me, San. I wasn't thinking. We came in through the back earlier and it didn't even dawn on me that she was here. I was a bit distracted thinking about what we were going to do. Even when I was chopping vegetables, I was really just going through the motions while thinking about the bed right in front of me."

"She said she won't tell your parents. She loves you and wants to make sure you're ready. She also said she didn't care so that's at least one more person who doesn't have a problem with us being together except…"

"Except what?"

Santana decided she needed to start eating. She was starving and the food Quinn had worked so hard to make for her was getting cold. She also needed a distraction.

"She sort of warned me not to hurt you."

"She warned you? My baby sister warned someone?"

The mood was light now, which made Santana relax a little.

"Yeah, she doesn't want you to get hurt and she's worried that will happen when the summer's over."

"When you go home."

"She doesn't want me to leave you here alone."

"Well, that's sweet of her, I guess."

"She just loves you and wants you to be happy. She knows the sacrifices you've made for your family and she wants you to have the life you want." She paused. "Are we okay? I know it's not at all how you wanted her to find out, but I can guarantee it's not how she wanted to find out either."

"We're fine and I'll apologize to her tomorrow. I can't believe she heard us and didn't say anything to stop us."

"Quinn, you don't have a door and you live in one room. If she would've tried, she probably would have also seen. Besides, she put on headphones and closed the office door for a while so I think she missed most of it."

"I know that someday years from now this will be a funny story we can all laugh about, but right now I'm kind of creeped out and I'm really considering moving out of this bookstore." Santana's smile was stretched across her entire face. "I know what you're smiling at."

"You said years from now."

"Yes."

"You were so worried about this going beyond the summer and now you're saying we'll be laughing about this years from now. What changed?"

Quinn took a moment to consider her wording and just decided to keep it simple.

"Everything. Everything changed."

They finished their meal and Quinn insisted she do the dishes alone so Santana decided to just lay in bed and watch as she cleaned. The music was still playing softly in the background and the candles were still flickering light around the room. Santana liked the apartment, but she also thought it would be good if Quinn moved out of the bookstore preferably into a place that had a door and multiple rooms so they could have privacy if people stayed over. Also preferably, this place would be somewhere other than Jasper and they would be living there together. It was then that she saw the picture so clearly in her mind.

They were living in Cambridge. Quinn was at Harvard while Santana was working at a Boston architecture firm. She wasn't ready to own one herself yet, but she was now at least able to see herself sketching at a table again. Quinn would visit between classes and they'd take their lunches together when possible. They'd spend their evenings with Quinn's new college friends and Santana's friends she'd inevitably make now that she's done living in exile and can get back to having a social life. They'd buy a place that was expensive and safe, but modest at the same time. They'd take trips during Quinn's school breaks and they'd celebrate her getting into law school by going somewhere exotic. When they returned, Santana would consider starting her own firm assuming everything had gone well in her career. A few years later, Quinn would be a lawyer practicing in her dream city while Santana would be visiting her for lunch and bringing her coffee in between meetings and presentations.

This sounded almost perfect in Santana's mind, but she was missing something. She had never talked about kids with Quinn and had no idea how she felt about them, but Santana had always wanted them. Not tomorrow, but someday. Since she was little, she had Noah to play with some of the time, but she had no real siblings of her own and in those alone moments, she thought about how when she grew up, if she ever had one, she'd want another. She didn't care if she had boys or girls. She hoped in that moment that Quinn felt the same way and made an appointment with her brain to bring it up, but not to soon because she didn't want to scare Quinn away by talking about things that wouldn't happen for possibly another decade. They'd spend their holidays in Jasper with Quinn's family and maybe some in Chicago with her family. She thought about how much her aunt would love Quinn's mother and father. She could maybe see a wedding in their future, but she wasn't really concerned with that. Weddings were never really her thing. She did think she'd look kick ass in a tight wedding dress though. She wanted the person, but didn't need a ceremony. That was mostly for her parents and now that they're gone, she'd probably be doing it for her aunt and uncle.

The light from the flickering candles was gone as she opened her eyes. She saw Quinn lying beside her. They were both under the blankets and Quinn's arm was lazily hanging around her waist. She had fallen asleep. She leaned up to check the time and realized it was already almost 10 in the morning. So much for their night of hot sex. Quinn stirred so Santana moved back to her original position trying not to wake her. She just stared lovingly for a few minutes. Everything she thought about the night before had appeared in her brain again and it made her happy. Even thinking about her parents not being there for her future wedding had not brought her down from this emotional high.

"I love you." She told Quinn's sleeping form.

"I love you too." Quinn, who was apparently not sleeping after all, replied. "So, I'm going to forgive you for falling asleep on me and not giving me more orgasms."

Santana laughed loudly at this before snuggling in closer to Quinn's neck.

"I promise I will make that up to you. I'm so sorry. I guess I was just exhausted. I wonder why. You could've just woken me up, by the way."

"Nah, you looked too cute. Plus, I look forward to you making it up to me, but for now, I have to take a shower and get going. I'm due downstairs. We open soon."

"And I need to get back to the guesthouse before everyone notices I didn't sleep there."

"I was thinking that maybe you could wash my back before you go."

"That would require me being in the shower with you, which would require us to be naked."

"I changed my mind. You can start making it up to me now."

And with that she was up and walking toward the shower. Santana stretched her entire body before following closely behind.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

It was several days later and they had spent as much time together as possible. Trips to their favorite lake spot, nights in either the guesthouse with Quinn sneaking out in the morning or at Quinn's with Santana sneaking out before the store opened, and multiple meals were shared, some Santana cooked and some Quinn put together.

Santana was sitting on the couch in the basement playing video games with Artie. Puck was sitting nearby making notes as he talked.

"San, is there anyone else you want at your party?" He questioned while Santana killed Artie yet again on screen.

"Artie, you suck at this."

"Must be why I'm going to law school." Artie pointed out.

Noah smiled at his cousin who seemed happy for the first time in a long time.

"San?"

"What? Oh, you got Quinn, right?"

"Yeah, of course." He made a note and hoped Santana didn't notice that he forgot to include the one person he should have remembered to include.

"Then, I'm good. Wait. When you say party, you mean everyone in the house and Quinn, right? That's it. Maybe her little sister, but I have to check with her parents on that one. She's in high school."

Noah had a habit of throwing huge, out of control parties. It was at one of these parties that he'd had gotten drunk and made out with Santana's best friend and future roommate, Rachel. Santana and Rachel weren't really friends at first. It took a while for Santana to even acknowledge that she liked hanging out with her sometimes. She was constantly assaulting her with nicknames designed to annoy in hopes that Rachel would take a hint and leave her alone, but Rachel stuck around. So eventually, Santana gave in and just acknowledged that she actually liked hanging out with her. They'd been pretty inseparable recently up until the death of her parents. Rachel did the best she could, but Santana was stubborn in her grief. She felt bad about not allowing her friend to care for her, but she needed her time alone. Rachel would be here except Noah didn't think to invite her and Santana didn't want to be here at all and hadn't thought of inviting Rachel herself. Rachel also actually worked and couldn't really take a summer off.

"It's just us. I promised you low key and I will deliver."

"You better. I mean it, Puckerman. I don't want any of your insane party shit."

Evan walked in and flopped down on the couch next to Artie.

"Evan, you're good at this game. You wanna play? Santana's killing me." Artie offered his controller as he was killed once again.

"She's done it again." Evan said.

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm asking you to play for me."

"No, my mom. She just called off her wedding to Kurt's dad."

"What?" Santana forgot to hit pause on her controller and Artie kept playing seizing the moment.

"Kurt just got the call and told me. He seems pretty okay with it."

"I win! Finally!" Artie shouted triumphantly and waved the controller still in his hand.

"Dude, that doesn't count," Noah defended.

Santana looked back at the screen.

"Also, no you didn't." She clicked a few buttons in some kind of magical order and killed him again. He slumped back in defeat while Noah laughed hysterically. "So, what's Kurt going to do?"

"He says he wants to stay."

"Well, that's good. He's cool."

"No, I mean stay like stay for good. He's headed into town right now to find work and a place to live for the rest of the summer until he can find something more permanent."

"He doesn't have to move out of here just because your parents canceled their wedding."

"He only stayed because our parents wanted us to get to know each other. Now that that doesn't matter, I think he just wants to get started on his plan to move here."

"What is it with that guy? Why would he want to live here when he could live in Chicago?" Noah asked and while Santana didn't like his tone, she did understand his question.

"Couldn't tell you. You'd have to ask him."

"Why? It's not like he'd actually answer me."

At this, Santana handed her controller to Evan with a small smile. They weren't really friends right now and hadn't had a real conversation since that night at the restaurant, but they had settled into a cordial exchange here and there. Santana appreciated that he hadn't told anyone else about Quinn and that he seemed to respect the fact that she was in love even if it wasn't with him. Brittany, Tina and Mike had decided to spend the day in town so Evan was without the new girl he liked for the day. Santana wasn't sure if that was going anywhere, but she liked how Evan smiled when he was with Brittany.

She made her way upstairs and out the door just as Kurt was getting ready to drag his suitcase down the stairs.

"Hey, you know you don't have to leave right?"

Kurt turned to see that it was Santana and walked back toward her, leaving the suitcase there.

"I know, but I want to. It's kind of funny really. I didn't want to come down here in the first place. The last thing I wanted to do was to hang out with a bunch of people I'd never met and watch them party all summer because my future stepbrother hangs out with them. Now, I like this place and I don't mind sticking around."

"Can I ask you why? I mean besides the small town life, which you can get outside of Chicago much closer to home. Also, it's not exactly the most welcoming of places for the gays." She wasn't sure if that was the right way to say it, but she did anyway.

Kurt sat on the steps of the house and Santana joined him.

"When I told my mom I was gay, she told me she would tolerate me, but that she wanted nothing to do with that part of my life."

"I'm sorry."

"School is getting paid for, but I don't really like the accounting program I'm in. If I'm going to get a degree, I want it to be one I actually want and not one I was forced into. I'm on my own here for the first time and I like it. I'm not saying I'm going to stay forever. I do have things I want to accomplish that I can't do here. I mean the fashion in this place is enough to make me cringe. They don't even know what broaches are. Plus, I don't really want to go back to someone who doesn't even want to know that I'm in love."

"What? You're in love? With who?" She asked with a shocked tone. She hadn't even noticed Kurt spending time with anyone outside the group and she hoped he wasn't in love with Puck, Mike, Artie or Evan because he'd have no chance with any of those straights.

"I met him one of our first day here. His family owns the diner in town and he is amazing. His name is Blaine and he's fabulous." He said in a high-pitched, stereotypical gay way. Santana laughed.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because he's not out yet and I don't want to rush him, but he wants me to stay here for a while at least and he wants to tell his family. He wants to leave Jasper and move to a city. He's a singer actually and right now he's singing in the church choir, but Santana, he's phenomenal. He could be on Broadway or get a record deal if he wanted to. He just needs to get out of here first."

"That's great, Kurt."

"That's why I want to leave the house. I'm going to stay with him until I can find a place of my own or maybe just move in with him. I don't know. Maybe that's too fast. I'm just gonna work in the diner for now and we'll save up money together. I haven't told my mom yet. After my parent's divorced and I came out to her, it was like two daggers. She lost my dad and then lost me or at least that's what she thought. My dad's alright, but even he isn't fully on board with me bringing someone home."

"Someone with a penis, you mean." Santana hoped Kurt would find that funny. He smiled.

"Yeah, if I brought a girl home. They'd both be confused, but they'd probably hide it so they wouldn't spook me back to being gay." They shared a laugh. "How about it? You wanna be my beard? I can return the favor."

Santana laughed again and nudged him.

"So, the two people who wanted nothing to do with this place ended up finding a big reason to stick around. Life." She commented while staring off toward the lake.

"And here's your reason now," Kurt pointed at Quinn's truck as it pulled up behind the other cars.

"You're right about that. She is my reason." Santana stood and walked over to the rolled down passenger window. "Hey, baby. I wasn't expecting you to stop by." Santana had told Quinn that Kurt saw them at the restaurant, but didn't tell her he was gay too. She figured that was more for him to tell her if he wanted to.

"I wanted to take you somewhere and I didn't want to wait."

"That sounds ominous."

"It's good news. No more serial killer body dump locations."

"Okay, weirdo. Can we drop Kurt off in town on the way?"

"Sure."

Santana walked back to Kurt.

"My reason and I will drop you so you can get to your reason."

Kurt stood and laughed.

"That would be great. Thanks."

Santana hopped into the passenger seat and moved over to the middle where her arm went automatically around Quinn's shoulder. She kissed her quickly as Kurt threw his bags in the back of the truck and hopped in. Kurt talked to Santana mostly all about Blaine until they dropped him off in front of the diner and she guessed he didn't have a problem with Quinn knowing since he was confessing his undying love with her in the truck. Kurt walked inside and it was then that Santana saw his reason. He was a short guy with a thin, but muscly build who had brown hair that had some definite product in it and when he looked up as the bell over the door rang, he smiled a wide smile.

They drove a little down the main road before turning down a street Santana had yet to go down. As small as Jasper was, there were many roads off the main drag, but they were mostly hidden by trees and cornfields.

"Where are we going, Q?" Santana finally thought to ask after several minutes.

"We're here." Quinn announced and pulled the car up a driveway to what looked like a cabin. The lights appeared to be on inside and Santana could see the flicker of what she assumed to be the fire burning in the fireplace.

"Where's here? This is some _Cabin in the Woods_ type location. I've seen that movie, Quinn. People die."

"Come on."

They got out of the truck and walked to the cabin where Quinn opened the door. Santana went inside first and saw the living room complete with Quinn's sofa and television. She turned to see that the kitchen had Quinn's stuff in it as well.

"What's going on?"

"I moved today. That's why I told you I was busy. I wanted it to be a surprise."

"You moved? From the bookstore?"

"Yeah, I live here now. There's a door with a lock and no bookstore downstairs. Well, there's no downstairs. Look. There are walls between the rooms."

Santana laughed as she took Quinn's hand.

"I don't really understand what's going on here. Explain woman."

"Remember how I told you Mr. Clemmons let me stay at the store in exchange for taking care of it?"

"Yes."

"Well, what I didn't tell you is that Mr. Clemmons just left Jasper. He moved to Florida for the warmer weather and the retirement communities. This is his cabin. He used it for when guests came to town. He left a couple of days ago and before he did, I asked if he would mind letting me live here instead in exchange for taking care of the place for him."

"So, now you have four jobs? When is your girlfriend supposed to see you?" She had never used the girlfriend word before, but it had just instinctively fallen out of her mouth so she left it there for Quinn to figure out what to do with.

"I gave Beth the bookstore job. She needs to save up money for school or whatever else she decides to do with her life anyway and I told my dad I wanted to cut back my hours at the store. I'm going to work there a couple of days a week to help with inventory and stocking, but he said he can take care of it and my mom can help."

"Quinn, that's amazing."

"I know. Oh, and now Kurt can take my place if he wants it. I left some of the furniture there, but I can get him a key. Mr. Clemmons won't mind because I won't tell him."

Santana moved them to the sofa and put her arm around Quinn brushing the hair behind her ear. She looked to the roaring fire she knew Quinn had made just for her.

"What inspired these life changes?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"You didn't have to move or quit your jobs for me."

"I know. I did it _for_ me, but I did it _because_ of you."

"I've spent most of the day beating guys at video games so my brain is a little muddled right now. Why don't you explain that one to me?"  
"I've wanted to do these things for a while now. I just didn't have the motivation. You provide the motivation."

"Well, I do what I can. And you've really got to stop this self-sufficient stuff. I could have helped you move today, babe."

She rested her head on Quinn's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah. I got you something."

"Quinn, you didn't have to get me anything."

"You don't get people presents because you have to, San. You do it because you want to, but this isn't anything big." She held out a key. "It's the key to my new place. I want you to be the only one who has a copy. Well, I'll probably give my parents one too, but I'll make sure they know it's for emergencies only."

"You're giving me a key?"

"It's really more ceremonial than anything. No one really locks doors around here. Yourself included."

"What about all your other girlfriends? Did you give them keys too?" Santana joked as she took the key from Quinn's hand. Again, she gave Quinn a chance to correct the term girlfriend.

"Yes, but I just made a schedule. You're Monday and Tuesday. You're the only one who gets two days. So, you should feel pretty special."

Santana kissed her at that before pulling away to again rest her head on her shoulder.

"You know I'd give you a key to the guesthouse if I actually had one."

"I know. I was actually thinking about that too."

"Making me a key to the guesthouse?"

"No, you staying at the guesthouse when I want you here all the time."

Santana snapped to attention.

"Continue that thought."

"We spend every night together anyway and we end up sneaking out, which makes it seem like we're doing something wrong when we're not. I know it's fast, but you only have two months left here and I want to spend every minute I can together."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"If I wasn't leaving would you still want this?"

"In this scenario are you still living at party central basically outside on your own?"

"Yes."

"Then, yes. It's not just about that though. You know I love you and you know I want you pretty much all the time." She moved onto Santana's lap and put her arms around her neck. "If you were staying here forever, I'd still want to share this place with you. San, I want everything with you."

Santana kissed her deeply at this and then pulled herself out of the moment.

"I can't."

"Well, I didn't see that coming. I like that you're unpredictable though." Quinn was disappointed.

"It's not like that. I just mean I can't officially live here. I want to and when everyone knows, I can, but if you don't want rumors to start I need to keep living at the guesthouse for now. Besides, aren't you worried you'll get sick of me? We haven't exactly been together that long. Won't we be that stereotypical couple that moves in together too soon?"

"Like I said, we don't know yet what's going to happen at the end of the summer so I just want as much time with you as possible. I don't see myself getting sick of you anytime soon. Here's what I'm thinking though. You're coming to dinner tomorrow night and Beth already knows. I want to tell my parents about us and then I'll tell Finn. We can figure out the living situation after that."

"Speaking of Finn, I kept meaning to ask you something, but then we started having sex and my brain could really only process that and one syllable words." Quinn laughed as she hopped off Santana's lap and sat back on the sofa. "Kurt overheard him talking to someone in town. My guess is that his boyfriend is that someone, but that's not important. Finn seems to think you two are engaged and having a spring wedding."

"What?"

"Yeah, I know you know you two are done, but does he know?"

"That's just Finn. He jokes every so often about when we're going to finally just do it. He's been fed lines by everyone in this town about how he and I will work it out so he plays along."

"Babe, I don't think it's just playing along. It his mind you two are just on a break or something."

"Well, once I tell him about us none of that will matter. I'm not marrying Finn, Santana. I love you. You're the only one I want."

As Quinn fell asleep in her arms that night, Santana could not have been happier. She understood entirely the effect Quinn had on her, but she had never seen how it worked the other way around until Quinn made these big changes to spend more alone time with her. She worried slightly about Finn's reaction to their big news, but decided it didn't really matter what he thought. She knew he was important to Quinn so she'd be the good girlfriend, but she felt confident Quinn would put him in his place if need be and there would definitely be no spring wedding.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

According to Quinn's sister, their parents wouldn't care that Santana was a girl, but Santana wasn't so sure. You can be open minded about other people's love until it actually joins your family and suddenly change your tune. Santana loved Quinn's parents and they treated her well. She was hoping they wouldn't suddenly treat her differently considering she was sleeping with their daughter.

As for her friends, Evan already knew and Santana knew he'd be a good guy to Quinn and after the summer they'd see each other less and less anyway. Noah would be cool about it. Probably a little too cool at first. There would be a lot of mocking and innuendos, but he would eventually calm down and accept that Quinn made her happy. Her aunt would be another story. Santana predicted she would be happy for her niece, but that it would be an adjustment for her as well as her uncle. They had plans for her and now they would have to change. Santana didn't really think they'd be changing all that much. The picture was pretty much the same except they would need to exchange Quinn for Evan. She smiled with her eyes closed against Quinn's chest at that. Really, there was no exchange rate for Quinn in Santana's eyes, but she'd probably never be able to fully explain what it is about this girl that makes her so special. Santana wasn't really sure she even wanted to define it to herself.

"You're thinking very loudly right now." Quinn's grogginess spoke up as she kept her eyes closed.

"I'm sorry."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. Go to sleep." Santana took her own advice and eventually her breath evened out and she fell into a restful sleep.

The family night dinner came and Quinn picked Santana up at the lake house. She had hoped she would be ready when she got there, but she wasn't so Quinn proceeded back behind the main house to see what was taking so long. She saw Evan sitting in a lawn chair under an umbrella staring blankly at a laptop. She thought about walking right past him without saying anything, but she didn't want to be rude given their situation.

"Hey, Evan."

"Oh, hey." He looked up.

"Laptop outside, huh?" She looked in the guesthouse and saw Santana had the blinds pulled down meaning she was probably still getting dressed so she walked toward Evan.

"Yeah, checking out jobs. Just thought I'd do it out here since it was such a nice day and we were actually able to get the wi-fi to work. Santana's in the guesthouse."

"I know. I'm taking her to my parent's house for dinner, but clearly she's running a little behind."

"Yeah, she's one of those girls. Always trying on outfit after outfit until she finds the right one when she looks good in all of them anyway."

Quinn's lips went straight as she thought about how well Evan knew her girlfriend. Maybe not in the same way Quinn seemed to understand her, but he knew her getting ready routine, he knew her friends and college stories, he knew things that would take years for Quinn to discover on her own. That's partly the excitement of a new relationship, but it's also the part that she'd constantly have to rectify. Her relationship with Finn was the same way maybe even more so since she's known him forever and Evan has only been in Santana's life for a few years.

"She can take as long as she wants. I've got time." She didn't mean it to sound like she was challenging his past with Santana, but she was sure it came out that way so she followed it with, "I thought you already had a job lined up after the summer."

"I did. I mean I do, but it's in Indy." Sam seemed to have missed her tone entirely. Quinn was happy about that.

"What's wrong with that?"

"I only picked the job because I thought I'd be getting married and Santana would be working with her dad there."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"It's okay. I mean… She seems really happy with you and she's thinking about her future again, which is cool and now I can find something else for myself. Maybe I'll stay in Chicago now. I like it there. Don't tell Santana, but I secretly used to hope that she'd start with her dad, but would want to eventually branch out on her own and maybe we'd move to Chicago or New York or someplace a little more exciting."

"I won't say anything. So, what are you thinking about doing?"

"I had an entry level position lined up at an accounting firm in the city. That's how my mom met Kurt's dad. He and I were in the same program. We worked on a project together at his house. He lived with his mom at the time. My car was in the shop so my dad had to pick me up. They started dating a little while after that. Don't know if Kurt's going back to school though or not. I think he technically still has a semester left. He took one off for a fashion internship in New York." Sam's thoughts seemed to bounce around a lot like he wasn't able to keep his focus for long. Quinn wondered how Santana was able to put with that for so long because it would have driven her crazy.

"Accounting, huh?" She changed the subject.

"Not exciting. I know. It's what my dad does. I barely made it through. Santana helped a lot. Well, she did my homework for me a lot when she got frustrated because it was taking me so long. She doesn't like to admit it, but she's a wiz with numbers. That last semester was the hardest though since she and I weren't talking. I'm thinking that instead of doing something I don't think I'll really want, maybe I'll try something else instead. I just found this ad for male models. I used to do some work in high school. Maybe I can give it a try."

"Wow. That's a big change." She told him.

"I think I need a big change right now."

"What about Brittany?"

"She lives in Chicago. Did you know she's a dancer? She's got some gig lined up. She called it a gig. I don't know what that means really, but I want to see where this goes. She has this web thing that she does called Fondue for Two. I helped her with an episode. It was fun. I think I could use some more fun."

"Well, good luck with all that." Quinn had no idea what he was talking about, but it seemed to make perfect sense to him so she figured she'd just leave it alone.

The guesthouse door opened and Santana emerged immediately stopping her progress when she noticed the two of them talking.

"It's cool. We're acting like adults. I'm not beating my head against a steering wheel this time." Evan offered as Santana slowly walked toward them.

She wanted to lean in and kiss Quinn, but she opted to save that for later just in case Evan was full of false bravado.

"So, you guys are talking now? BFFs? You gonna braid each other's hair later? Ev's is getting long enough."

"Well, you were taking forever to get ready so I was keeping your girl company," Evan explained.

"How's the job search coming?" Santana asked him while she sat in one of the remaining chairs under the umbrella while reaching for Quinn's hand. Holding hands in front of him wasn't as bad as kissing her in front of him. Quinn scooted herself closer so they could rest their hands together on the arm of her chair. Evan saw the action, but looked back at Santana too quickly for either of them to gauge his response.

"It's still going, but I've found some stuff I think I'll like."

"That's good."

"Yeah, my mom's going to hate it, but gotta do what's right for me, ya know?"

"Screw her, dude. It's your life, Ev."

Evan stood up with the laptop and closed it.

"I'm gonna head back inside and hang with Brittany. She wants to watch the Smurfs together while we eat Lucky Charms. Have fun at your dinner."

"Thanks. We will," Quinn delivered.

Evan turned to walk back inside, but quickly shifted back around and stopped.

"I forgot to tell you that tomorrow we're all going back to Indy. Mike and Tina are already there. The rest of us are leaving tomorrow morning and we're staying a couple of nights."

"Why?" Santana asked.

"Puck's been texting some girl who lives there and they're meeting at some bar tomorrow night. I want to actually take Brittany on a real date without her ex sleeping on the couch. On Monday, I'm going to talk to my soon to be boss about the fact that he's not going to be my soon to be boss anymore and Artie met some friends up there the last time he was in town and they want to meet up again. It's a whole big thing. We would have invited you, but we figured you'd want to stay here. Well, I figured you'd want to stay here and everyone else just agreed, but you are invited if you do want to come along. You too, Quinn. If you want…"

Quinn looked at Santana for an answer.

"We'll talk about it and let you know," Santana replied.

Evan went back in the house and the girls got up with their hands still clasped together and started walking toward Quinn's truck.

"Do you want to go?" Quinn asked.

"Kind of, but I only want to go if you go with me."

"You don't have to stay here because of me if you want to go with your friends."

"It's not that I want to go with them. I just want to see Rachel. I feel like I need to apologize to her in person for acting how I acted and I'd like to have her come down here if she can get any time off. I thought about doing it over the phone, but it feels like it should be a face to face conversation."

"Then, I should definitely stay here so you two can have some time alone."

"You're probably right, but I was hoping to christen my bed by having some hot sex with you in it."

"Next time, I promise."

"Fine. Fine. I want to tell her about us though if you're okay with that."

"Of course I'm okay with that and while I will miss you while you're gone, it will give me distraction free time to get some school work done. Summer sessions are a pain in the ass."

"So, I'm a distraction, huh?" Santana teased as she arrived at the truck.

"You are definitely a distraction."

"Are you still going to tell your parents tonight at dinner?"

"That's the plan."

"Are you nervous? You don't seem nervous at all."

"Am I nervous to tell my parents, one of them formerly of the Amish faith and one who attends church every week that I am in love with a girl?" She paused and looked over at Santana. "No. Not at all. It'll just be like every other conversation we've ever had. I'll say, 'Mom, Dad, I'm gay and Santana is my girlfriend. Is that going to be a problem?' and they'll say something like, 'No, it's totally okay.' That's how I see it all going down."

"You're mocking me? Really? That's what I get for asking and trying to give you an out if you're not ready?" Santana pointed out.

Quinn smiled.

"I think I'm as ready as I can be. I think they're going to have more questions about what we're going to do after the summer than about you actually being a girl, San."

They got in the truck and Quinn started it up and backed out of the driveway. Santana didn't want to have yet another conversation about the unknown so she decided to avoid it for now.

"How do you really think they'll take it?"

Quinn looked at her as she halted the car's movement to put it in drive.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough."


	17. Chapter 17

Thanks again for the continued support with your faves, alerts and reviews. They are, as always, very much appreciated.

Chapter 17:

The dinner went along as the others had. They ate outside and the food was probably good, but Santana couldn't really taste anything since she was so focused on thinking about when Quinn would break the news to her parents. This was the most nervous she'd been in her entire life. This was more nerve wracking than the fist time they had sex when she felt like she was fumbling all over the place. Beth had a few extra sideways glances and smirks this time and Santana did her best to look away to keep from nervous laughing.

They finished eating and the clean up and made their way to the living room for their evening movie. Quinn took a seat next to Santana while Beth was lying on the floor reading yet another magazine. Her parents sat on the other side of the room. Santana's heart was racing as their evening would soon be over and Quinn still hadn't said anything. She didn't want to ask when she planned on bringing it up because she didn't want to pressure her, but she was starting to worry that Quinn had lost her nerve and that they would be leaving after the movie still hiding their relationship from her family. How would she bring this up when they were on their way back to Quinn's later? Would she say anything at all? How would she let her know that she was okay with them not knowing until she was ready, but at the same time she knew she'd be disappointed?

Just then, Quinn's hand moved its way into Santana's lap where she found Santana's hand and moved it onto her own lap with their fingers intertwined. Quinn gave it a squeeze and looked into her eyes. It appeared that this was the moment. Santana thought about how brave Quinn was being. This thing between them had just started and they didn't know where it would go, but she was ready and willing to come out to her parents knowing she risked an adverse reaction.

"Well, it's about time."

Santana froze and tried to pull her hand away, but Quinn held it firmly in place. Santana realized the voice was that of Quinn's father and he was chuckling.

"Seriously, you two are adorable." Quinn's mother laughed alongside her husband.

"What? How long have you guys known? I had this whole speech planned. I was just about to tell you." Quinn asked while staring at her parents with a look of confusion. At least Santana wasn't the only one.

"Since that first dinner. You two have terrible poker faces."

"We weren't together then."

"Oh please, you two have been together since you met," Beth joined the conversation not looking up from her magazine. "Don't think I didn't see the two of you that night through my bedroom window. Quinn putting that sweatshirt on you and hanging on just a little too long." Santana smiled replaying that moment in her mind. Evan was in the car heartbroken ready to drive her back to the house and Quinn was standing so close to her, pulling down on the hoodie as if she couldn't find a way to let go and Santana knew she never wanted her to let go.

"Quinn, we think it's great. I remember the first day Santana came to town and you came into the shop after working on the yard talking about these rich tourists."

"Rich tourists, huh?" Santana finally had the courage to speak as she pulled on Quinn's hand to place it on her lap instead.

"Don't worry, Santana. She wasn't talking about you. She said there was this girl on the boat who seemed different. I asked her how she could possibly know that and she said she just did. That's how I felt when I first saw the beautiful woman sitting beside me." He looked over at his wife who as usual was clutching his hand. "I just knew."

"And you guys don't care that I'm a girl?" Santana asked with a hopeful, yet terrified gulp.

"Sweetie, we don't care about anything if you make our daughter happy. We had our own version of trying to make a complicated love work in the beginning, remember? My parents weren't exactly happy about me throwing away my life to move here. That's how they saw it, but I knew it was the right thing for me to do. Besides, we may be small town, but we're not small minded."

"I'll do my best to make her happy." Santana felt she should focalize her desire to do anything she could to make Quinn happy to her parents in hopes that they would see her sincerity.

"She does," Quinn confirmed. "She makes me very happy."

"We can tell. You've changed since this one came to town. You're finally doing things for yourself now instead of worrying about us all the time. Your mother and I couldn't be happier about that. There's really only one thing we're worried about." His voice got serious at that.

"Me leaving." Santana stated it because that's the one thing everyone is worried about.

"We're fine with you getting back to your life at the end of the summer as long as you take our daughter with you."

"Dad!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Okay, it doesn't have to be at the end of the summer, but Quinn, you need to get out of this place. It's not that we don't love these weekly dinners and I love working with you at the shop, but you're almost 24 years old. It's time for you to get a life of your own. Your mother, Beth and I can manage. Besides, it's not like Beth's sticking around."

"You've got that right." Beth was stoic as always.

"I'd love to take her with me, but I think that's up to her. She's very stubborn. She's kind of like me that way."

"Just remember, San, you love me. You're supposed to be taking my side here," Quinn retorted.

"I do love you and I _am_ taking your side. I just also happen to agree with your parents on this one."

"This is a conversation for another time, I think." Quinn's mother turned back to the movie that had been playing behind their conversation. "We're happy for the two of you and it seems like you have some things to talk about. For tonight, let's just watch our movie."

And with that the conversation was over. Santana definitely loved Quinn's parents and she was pretty sure that their secret would be out soon enough if they just didn't confirm it because apparently, their relationship is obvious to the world. Santana let go of Quinn's hand much to Quinn's disappointment, but she just moved her arm behind Quinn so Quinn could rest her head on her shoulder, which she did and the disappointment dissipated. Quinn's hand went to Santana's leg, which was wrapped underneath her body and Santana's other hand went on top of it. They played with one another's fingers throughout the movie and no one spoke until it was over when they broke for the evening. Beth was back in her room blaring music and Quinn and Santana said their goodnights and hit the road.

Santana waited until they were a few minutes down the road before she spoke.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm not playing poker anytime soon." She laughed while putting her hand in Santana's.

"Me neither unless I plan on losing a lot of money. Of course, I'm rich now. So…"

Back at Quinn's place, they got ready for bed and Santana read a book on business she found on one of Quinn's shelves while Quinn was taking something out of the closet and setting it on the bed.

"San, I got you something." She stated placing the wrapped object on the bed between them.

"You have got to stop getting me things. Besides my birthday is in a few days. Why are you getting me something now? Or is this for my birthday?" She put the book down and looked across at Quinn.

"This isn't a birthday present. It's just something I thought you should have."

Santana looked at the item that was shaped like a shirt box from a department store. She lifted an eyebrow at Quinn before opening it. "Quinn…"

"I saw you looking at it and I put two and two together."

Santana was looking down at the book her father had written a few years ago. She noticed it missing from the store, but didn't think anything of it after that.

"Thank you."

"I'm sure you already have a copy or possibly several, but I thought this one was special."

"It is, Q."

Santana opened the book to the acknowledgments page and read it out loud as Quinn took her spot next to her on the bed and moved the wrapping paper to the floor.

"He got the beautiful daughter part right. The inspiration part too." Quinn stated referring to the words Santana's dad had written about her.

Santana looked at Quinn before looking away to close the book and place it with care of the bedside table.

"You don't want to look at it?" Quinn asked a little worried Santana wasn't ready to read the book yet.

"I do and I will. I'll go page by page with you and describe everything if you want, but right now I just want you." Santana moved so that she was on top of Quinn as Quinn slid so she was flat on the bed.

"I thought we were going to sleep."

"I'm going to the city tomorrow and I won't see you for two days. I'd prefer to spend the night not sleeping if that's okay with you." Santana sat back to pull her shirt off without waiting for a response. Quinn smiled as her hands immediately took their place on Santana's hips and moved inward to her stomach.

"Do you think that someday we might put a baby in there?" She asked without thinking as she slid her hands over Santana's stomach. Santana was surprised at this question and Quinn noticed. "Oh my God, I can't believe I just asked you that. I'm so sorry." She leaned herself up and pulled off her shirt trying to forget the fact that she just brought something big like that up.

Santana leaned down and put her hands on both sides of Quinn's head and moved her lips to hers. She kissed her softly at first before pulling back and using her thumb to pull down Quinn's bottom lip and using her tongue to explore Quinn's mouth. She felt like she'd never be done exploring this girl's body. Quinn's hands went around Santana's neck before one of them slid down her side and starting pulling at Santana's pajama shorts, which she was trying to remove with haste. Santana understood her movements, but instead she grabbed Quinn's hand and moved it inside her underwear. She then took her own hand and shoved Quinn's down so it could slide into her body with ease. Quinn moved her fingers over Santana's center and found her clit. She began moving them around and around teasing Santana, who wasn't having it.

"Inside, Q." Santana picked up her pace inside Quinn who wasn't sure how she had gotten this turned on so quickly. She teased some more, but mostly for her own pleasure before going inside. As Santana jerked forward, Quinn used her other hand to hold her hip while she flipped them over and she was now on top.

"How do you do this to me? I'm already almost there…" she uttered before fading out and moving her hips faster and faster while her fingers mimicked that pace. Quinn's other arm was barely keeping her balanced with her hand pushing hard into the mattress next to Santana's head. She wanted to be kissing her, but the angle wouldn't allow it and what they were doing felt too good to stop even for a second. One more thrust and Santana felt the tingling move downward all the way to her toes and then she felt Quinn clench against her fingers. A few seconds later, they settled into a much slower pace wanting to ride out that feeling for as long as possible. Quinn stopped her movement and pulled out her hand licking everything from her fingers before leaning in to finally kiss Santana who was still trying to catch her breath. Santana started making a move to get Quinn to roll over, but when Quinn stood or more correctly kneeled her ground, she paused.

"I was thinking you could have one and I could have one or maybe we'll end up with twins or triplets. I think that happens a lot when you…" Santana mumbled between her still heavy breaths until she realized Quinn was confused, she clarified. "Babies, baby. To answer your earlier question."

Quinn's smile filled the room as she sat back so she could pull off their remaining clothes. She settled back on top of Santana after spreading her legs wide before moving her head down her body as she kissed everywhere. She stopped at Santana's stomach, "That sounds perfect." She kissed her there once more before moving down to her thighs and placing kisses there. She licked and sucked until she could tell Santana could take no more and then she lightly pressed her tongue to her clit. She kissed it gently before taking it into her mouth and listening to Santana's breathing pick back up between gasps and moans. "I could do this forever."

"Don't offer if you don't plan to deliver." Santana teased as Quinn's tongue flattened and licked her entire core from bottom to top before moving to hover over her entrance. She held herself there making a few movements here and there.

"Tell me what you were thinking about last night," she requested as her tongue moved just slightly inside her.

"What?" Santana didn't really want to have to spread her focus to include having an intelligent conversation right now. "Baby, later. Just don't stop."

"I won't stop if you tell me what you were thinking about." She paused her movements before moving back on top of Santana and kissing her lips lightly. She replaced her mouth with one finger that she dragged through Santana's wetness making Santana twitch.

"I was thinking about you… I'm always thinking about you." Quinn's hand moved again. "I was thinking about my life with you and what it could be like, okay?"

Quinn moved her head back down to resume what she was doing.

"Continue," she ordered against Santana's clit causing Santana to twitch again.

"What do you want to know, Q?"

Quinn looked up to catch her eye just as Santana's hand ended up on the back of her head.

"Everything."

Santana's eyes lit up as she as she used her hand to push Quinn back down begging her without words to continue.

"I'll try, but you're making this a little difficult by being… God, so good at that." Breath. "I see us in Boston or Cambridge working and going to school. Fuck! So good!" Moan and twitch. "I want you to go to law school like you've always wanted while I go back to architecture. Maybe I'll even try to get into grad school. Right there. Don't stop." She moved her hand to guide Quinn's mouth where she needed it. Her words started coming out much faster. "Wedding if you want one and then the kids or kids first. God, I really don't care what order. Fuck! I'm coming, baby!" Santana's hips bucked up and Quinn kept going spurred on not only by Santana's body reacting but to her words which somehow were turning her on even more. Santana settled herself as Quinn kept her head where it was for a moment before moving back on top of Santana. She moved Santana's legs together so she could straddle her. Just as she rested her center above Santana's, she jerked from the touch and Santana took that as enough justification to start sliding her body back and forth against the mattress causing Quinn's wetness to spread over her stomach.

"God, that feels good." Quinn exclaimed starting to move a little on her own.

Santana stopped for a moment before moving herself entirely under Quinn placing her face just below Quinn's clit. She lifted her head to take her into her mouth and Quinn jerked forward spurring Santana on. Quinn's arms went quickly to the mattress for balance as Santana's went to Quinn's ass. Quinn moved back and forth slowly at first while Santana did everything she could beneath her.

"That feels even better. I'm almost…" She slowed her movements to make the feeling last longer, but her body wasn't having it and she came just as Santana moved her tongue into her entrance. "Fuck. We're doing that again later."

Santana moved back up. "Hells yes!"

Quinn fell to Santana's side in an attempt to take a break. Being on top of that girl always made her want more. Being next to her also did that, but she wasn't ready to not be next to her. Santana moved her head to Quinn's shoulder and put her hand on Quinn's jawbone moving her to face her.

"Is my plan okay?" She asked with her vulnerability showing again. She hated showed her vulnerability to anyone, but she worried less with Quinn. They seem to be in a place where they can talk about this stuff years in advance while avoiding the things that will happen only months in advance.

Quinn wanted to say yes. Santana's plan was perfect, but she couldn't say yes in that moment. There was something holding her back. She smiled a smile Santana could tell was either a fake smile or a nervous smile, kissed her and got up to go to the bathroom. Santana wasn't sure what had just happened. Her eyes followed Quinn as she walked into the other room. Then, she moved back to stare up at the ceiling. Quinn asked to hear about her plans. She wanted to know what she wanted, but now she just smiles and walks away? Santana rolled to her side and closed her eyes. She had planned on spending the night making love to Quinn over and over again, but all she wanted to do now was close her eyes to encourage sleep to come. How is it that such a perfect night ended with Quinn in another room and Santana trying everything not to cry?


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

The next morning Santana left before Quinn woke up. She made her exit as quickly as possible and called Kurt from Quinn's new front yard to see if he could pick her up. He had his new boyfriend, Blaine take a quick break from work to drive her home since he was already up and dressed. The two of them hadn't really spent any time together and she didn't want to get into it why she needed a ride away from her girlfriend's place so she just sat silently while he drove.

"Are you hungry? I can stop by the diner and grab you something?" He was sweet, Santana could tell. He obviously knew something was up by the way she was acting and instead of prying, he offered her food.

"I'm okay. Thanks for the offer."

"No problem." He paused. "So, you and Quinn are together, Kurt tells me."

Santana wasn't sure how she should answer that question right now given Quinn's strange reaction from last night.

"Yeah."

"I'm happy for you guys. Quinn's great."

"She's alright." Santana was being partly sarcastic. She loved Quinn. She thought she was great, amazing, remarkable, beautiful, funny, smart, kind, and every other positive adjective she could think of, but she was upset and wasn't in the mood to shower her with compliments.

Blaine turned toward her and could tell she wasn't in the mood to talk about whatever was going on between the two of them.

"You know, when I first met Kurt, I liked him immediately. Our first kiss was perfect and I knew I wanted to be with him, but I also worried because he's not from Jasper and I'm not exactly out and proud here, but we started talking and just kind of figured things out. He's going to stay here for a while until I can get away and then we'll find somewhere we both want to live and go from there."

"I'm glad you two are working it out." She meant it, but as she stared out the window, she was regretting her decision to ask for a ride. The walk home would have been long, but at least she wouldn't have to hear about how happy these two were.

"I'm sure you've heard about Kaleb and the accident."

Santana turned to face him at the mention of Quinn's brother.

"Yeah, why?"

"He and I were good friends. We used to hang out. I was on the same soccer team. I know, I don't look sporty, but there's not much else to do in a town like this so you join whatever activities can keep you busy. Traveling soccer team and church choir were my choices." He paused and turned the volume down on the radio. "I was at the funeral and I was in the hospital a few times visiting her dad. They went through a lot."

"I know. She told me it's been hard."

"The first time her dad came home after months in the hospital, he had an accident. He was still getting used to his chair and I guess he had it next to the bed and tried to get in it and fell instead. He hit his head and had a huge gash that needed stitches." Santana squinted because this was not a story she had heard before. "Quinn was in Warren shopping with her mom for a prom dress when it happened. Beth was there though and she called a family friend to take them to the hospital and Quinn and her mom rushed over when they found out."

"She never said anything about that to me."

"She ended up not going to prom and ever since then, she kind of sticks around town a lot. I think she's afraid that if she leaves something will happen."

Blaine pulled the car up in the driveway of the lake house and Santana opened the door to get out.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Kurt and I talk a lot and he's mentioned that you're worried about the end of the summer. I've known Quinn for a while and I just thought I'd share something you might want to know."

She looked toward the guesthouse and then back to Blaine.

"Thanks for the ride." She got out of the car and closed it behind her before looking back at him. "And thanks for… you know."

"You're welcome."

She turned and walked back toward her room. She wasn't ready to confront Quinn's strange smile and awkward silence after she laid her life plan and heart out there for her trample on. What Blaine told her was insightful, yes, but it didn't change the fact that she was angry. She never had to worry about this stuff before Quinn. Every guy she had dated always just went with whatever she wanted. Even Evan used to go by Sam. He didn't really like the name all that much because he said it was confusing around his house since it was his dad's name too, but he went with it until he met Santana and she said he should go by Evan instead. He literally changed his name for her and she couldn't even get Quinn to say yes or no to their potential life together. She understood the situation was complicated with her family and that they hadn't known each other that long and she tried to take those things into consideration, but she couldn't control her feelings and she knew if she talked to Quinn right now, she would be angry and she didn't want to blow up at her.

She showered and changed and packed a few things for the trip before hopping into the car next to Puck. She was cursing Quinn in Spanish the entire time she was washing her hair and shoving clothes into her bags. She was also cursing herself for cursing Quinn because she wanted to understand what was holding her back, but the feeling of being led to the slaughter the previous night was ever present in her brain making it difficult to forgive Quinn for that awkward smile.

With Tina and Mike already in the city and Kurt gone, that left Artie, Evan, Brittany, Puck, and Santana for the ride up. Looking through the rearview mirror, she could see Evan and Brittany flirting back and forth while Artie stared out the window. She was seething beneath the surface, but couldn't say anything because only Evan knew her secret and now wasn't really the time to reveal her happy news since she wasn't really that happy at the moment. The Spanish cursing continued inside her head. Mostly it now was directed at the flirting going on in the backseat. If she couldn't be flirty and happy, she really didn't want anyone else to be either, at least not in her presence while she was attempting to sort out her emotions.

Her phone vibrated and she pulled it out of the pocket in her borrowed hooded sweater. Even though she wasn't sure what was going on with Quinn and she was upset, she wore her sweatshirt again because it smelled like her and despite what was going on, she was going to miss her. She hated herself a little bit because of that. Quinn was leaving her fourth text in about an hour. This one read, "Please call me. I know you're in the car with them, but at least text me so that I know you're all right and call me when you're alone. I don't know what I did to make you flee this morning, but I am sorry." Santana clicked the message away first before deciding she should at least let Quinn know she was alive. So, she replied with, "I'm fine. On the way to the city." She looked at the message and decided to just hit send. She didn't owe Quinn any more than that and she didn't know how to address what's going on in a text anyway. How could she tell her she was pissed because Quinn brought up the topic of planning for the future and then when Santana asked if what she wanted was something Quinn might want too and the girl just climbed out of bed without a word and didn't say anything else to her the rest of the night in a text message?

"I thought Quinn was coming." Evan offered after finishing a laugh with Brittany about something to do with his Sean Connery impression. Santana never really thought impressions were all that great. She laughed in the beginning, but that faded over time. Apparently, Brittany thought they were hilarious though.

"She had to work," Santana excused. She looked back down at her phone and opened up her pictures. There were several of her parents that she still couldn't face, but she had made a new album recently that had every picture she had ever taken of Quinn. She flipped through them while angling the phone toward the window so no one could see. Her eyes started to water when she got to a group of pictures from Quinn's apartment. Santana was in Quinn's pajamas lying next to her on the bed. Quinn was holding the phone above them while kissing her cheek and Santana was laughing. She closed the album fearing she'd start crying soon.

"Hey Puck, pull off at the rest stop. I need to pee." Evan asserted.

"Man, it's only like another hour. Can't you just wait?"

"Dude, no."

"Fine."

They pulled off at the rest stop and Santana got out to stretch her legs. Evan motioned for her to follow as they walked toward the bathrooms together. Noah and Artie decided to stay in the car. Brittany walked off to make a phone call to her mom and said she'd be right back.

"I thought maybe you could use a break," Evan explained.

"What do you mean?"

"I could see you in the mirror. You looked like you were about to cry. Is it about your parents?"

"No. Not this time."

"Quinn?"

"Yeah."

"What did she do?" Evan was getting protective again.

"Nothing. She didn't do anything. I just miss her."

"That's not it, San."

"Evan, do you even want to talk about this? Because I sure as hell don't."

"I'm still your friend. I want to make sure you're okay… that she's treating you right."

"She loves me. We're fine."

They arrived at the bathrooms and paused in front of the men's.

"Then why were you almost in tears?"

"I'm dramatic. You know how I am." She paused. "Look, it feels like she wants a life with me. She says she can see us together for years. She talked about babies last night and-"

"Hold on there, Speedy Gonzalez. That's a little quick, don't you think. You and I were going to wait..."

"She's not you, Evan. It's different with her. It's not like she meant we're going to pop out kids this year. It can't exactly happen the old fashioned way. If it could, we'd probably be pregnant already. I mean…" She faded for a moment when she realized she was talking about having sex with her hot girlfriend to her ex-boyfriend. "Sorry, TMI. She just said she wanted them with me and I know I want them with her someday."

"Then, what's the problem?"

"I feel like we're living in this bubble. It's just the two of us and we're either at my place or her place and her parents are cool, but what's going to happen when it's time for me to pack my shit up and go?"

"Why don't you just rent the place for longer or stay with Quinn?"

"She won't let me."

"What does that mean?"

"Hey Sam, can you get me a Diet Coke or something?" Brittany asked while hanging up her phone. "Lord Tubbington says hi, by the way." She started walking back toward the car.

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

"Lord Tubbington?" Santana questioned.

"Her cat. He's staying with her parents while she's here. She FaceTimes with him every night. Anyway, don't change the subject."

"Quinn doesn't want me to end up here. She knows I wouldn't be happy here full time and she's right. I can see having summers here, but I can't be an architect in Jasper and as much as I know she wants to leave here preferably with me, I just don't know if she can."

"Did she tell you that before or after she told you she wanted you to have her babies?"

Santana laughed at this before putting coins into the vending machine across from the bathrooms to buy a drink.

"She didn't so much tell me as I'm slowly coming to the realization. Last night, when we were… um…" Santana caught herself.

"It's okay. I know you guys have sex."

"Right. Still awkward though."

"Try being me in this conversation." He laughed this time as she continued.

"Anyway, she asked me what I was thinking about the night before when we were trying to fall asleep and I told her I was thinking about my plan that obviously includes her."

"You have a plan now?"

"I've always had a plan."

"Not recently. At least from what Puck and your aunt told me."

"Well, I've got one now or at least I thought I did, but now I'm not so sure."

She quickly recounted the details she had shared with Quinn the night before.

"I think that sounds just like you, San. I can see you there. Boston's cool."

"When I asked what she thought of it, she didn't say anything. She just smiled weirdly and walked out of the room."

"What did she say when you asked her about it later?"  
"I didn't. I went to sleep and when I left this morning, she was still asleep. She's been calling and texting me all morning. She knows something's wrong."

"Santana, don't be an idiot."

"Excuse me?"

"You're being stupid. I know I'm biased here, but I'm going to try to be as objective as possible. That girl loves you. She may even love you more than I did and that's saying something especially since you've know each other for what? About a month? She wants that life with you, but it's very different than anything she's ever known. She's lived here her whole life. Has she even ever left Indiana?"

"I don't know. Probably not. Maybe to Ohio or something."

"And here you are, this girl from the city with all your crazy friends, your fancy education, and your money. She falls for you, but she knows she's not good enough for you. No one is. She's got a family here and many, many jobs apparently. Has she ever dated a girl before? I mean, is she even gay?"

"This is new for both of us."

"And you're talking about taking her away-"

"To her dream city, Evan. She was supposed to go to Harvard. Where do you think I keep stealing all these damn Harvard clothes from?"

"She gave up on that, San. She was all it is what it is with her life at this point and you've rocked the boat. Give the girl a damn minute to let it all sink in before you run off scared. I mean, you're talking about stuff that might happen in a year or many years from now and you're freaking out that she's freaking out."

Santana passed Evan the Diet Coke she had bought so he could give it to Brittany.

"How is it you seem to know so much? Where was all this brilliance when we were dating?"

"Because I know what it's like to be happy thinking you've got this life thing all worked out and then you do something to change that."

"Evan, you know I'm sorry."

"That's not what I'm talking about. I get you and Quinn, now. I do. I'm talking about when we first met. I had a girlfriend, remember?"

"Yeah, Stephanie or something."

"She and I grew up in together and starting dating junior year. I thought I'd met the one at age 16. I saw my life with that girl and then I met you and all the sudden that vision changed. You were the one I was growing old with and sharing that picture with." He took a deep breath. "I'm not defending her for handling the situation the way she did, but this is a lot Santana. You're changing her life. It's for the better. Trust me, I know, but you still need to talk to her so she knows how you feel."

With that, he walked into the bathroom with the Coke and Santana walked back toward the car. Evan was right. Santana knew it. Whether or not Quinn handled it the right way, Santana wasn't right in avoiding her. She paused and pulled out her phone placing a call before motioning to Noah that it will only take a minute as in turn motioned to his watchless wrist.

"I'm so sorry." Quinn didn't even say hello.

"For what?"

"For whatever I did to make you leave and then not talk to me. I am sorry. Please come back here so we can talk about it."

"We're okay. I'm sorry for avoiding you."

"So you _were_ avoiding me?"

"I'm just being stupid. We talked a lot last night about stuff and when I asked if you thought it was okay, you didn't say anything. You just left the room."

"I guess we have some more talking to do." Quinn replied in a defeated, confused tone.

Santana wasn't getting the conversation she had hoped for.

"What does that even mean, Quinn? Do you see yourself leaving Jasper like ever? Everyone keeps telling you to go and I know you have things to do that exist outside of Indiana, but I bring it up and you don't want to talk about it."

"Where are you? I'll come to you. We should talk about this in person. There are things-"

"Nope, I don't really want to talk to you right now at all."

"Santana, please." Quinn was pleading. "I'm telling my dad I'm heading north for the night right now. I'll be in Indy in a couple of hours."

"Quinn, please don't come here." It hurt Santana to have to say that and she had to turn away from the guys in the car so they wouldn't see her tears. "I love you, but I can't see you right now. I'm with the guys and I'm going back to my parent's house and then meeting Rachel. I can't deal with all that and deal with losing you at the same time."

"San, you're not losing me. I'm not going anywhere."

"Maybe that's the problem."

Santana clicked the phone dead and shoved it back in her pocket before wiping the water from her eyes. Evan was back and she told him she didn't want to talk about it. They got back in the car where Noah pretended not to notice his cousin's tears and Artie was focused on his game of Candy Crush while Brittany and Evan started looking at something on her phone while smiling at each other lovingly. Santana just missed her girlfriend.


	19. Chapter 19

I'm going to be pulling at your heartstrings for a minute, but hang in there. If you've read my other Quinntana stories, you know they are endgame.

Chapter 19:

When they arrived in Indianapolis, Puck pulled up first to Santana's parent's house and asked if she was okay to go in alone.

"I'm good." She told him, still in a bad mood and ready to get out of that car.

Her parent's cars were in the driveway so she'd take one of them when she wanted to leave. After the guys were gone, she walked into the house she had left not that long ago after sleeping next to Quinn for the first time. She made her way into her old room; the one her parents had kept with all her cheerleading trophies and posters on the walls. She sat on the bed only for a moment before lying in the spot Quinn slept on taking in what was left of her scent before curling up in her sweatshirt and finally letting out the tears she'd been holding in. She fell asleep later and woke up to a knock at the front door. She left the room and reluctantly walked toward it silently cursing Quinn for following her up here when she specifically told her not too.

"Rachel?" She said as she opened the door and saw it wasn't Quinn, but her best friend instead. She hid her disappointment as Rachel quickly pulled her into a deep hug.

"I've missed you too, Santana." She greeted sarcastically.

"Sorry, I wasn't exactly expecting you. Shouldn't you be imitating Barbara Streisand on a stage somewhere, Berry?" Santana hugged her back for the first time in months and while she'd never admit it to Rachel, it felt good.

"Evan called me and said you were coming here first. He thought you might need some company."

"That boy needs to stay out of my damn business or I'm going to chop off that hair he continues to grow out like there's a shortage of scissors in the world."

They sat on the couch and talked. There wasn't any food in the house so they ordered a pizza and Rachel recounted her exploits in the city since Santana had gone to Jasper. Rachel had changed her major to theatre after freshman year so she still had a semester left to go. She was taking a summer class to try to at least catch up a little and was starring in a local production of the Sound of Music that ran through the fall. She waited for Santana to fill her in on her summer so far, but when Santana balked at that, she just kept on talking. She met a guy in the production. They were going out with a group from school that night since it was their only night off.

"I could use you there. You're always better with guys than me." Rachel slightly begged while putting her hands together to mock prayer.

"I don't know, Berry. It's been a while since I've been your wingman and the last time I was, you ended up getting drunk and hitting on the guy who was running the karaoke. He had tattoos all over his body and one of them said 'white power' and 'white' was spelled wrong. Don't really think he's your type… or mine for that matter."

"Thank you for getting rid of him, by the way. He invited me to a farm."

"You definitely would have been burned at the stake."

Rachel smiled before looking at her friend with an inquisitive glance as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"There's something different about you now. You seem better. Like some switch was flipped and I got my friend back. You're mocking me again. I shouldn't admit that I missed that because you'll start calling me Tiny Dancer or Short Stack again, but it's nice to see you again, San." Rachel was talking a mile a minute and Santana was doing what she could to remain focused on her rambling.

"Yeah, I should probably fill you in. It's why I came up here actually and you know I hate asking you for advice because you hold it over me every single time, but I think I need it. I've been spending most of my time down there with someone and-"

"Evan? Are you two back together? That cad! He should have told me on the phone. Where's the ring? I never got to see it."

"No. I finally told him definitively that he and I won't be getting back together and did you just call him a cad? Whatever. I'm moving past that so we can focus on me and not your ever-expanding lexicon of lame. Evan is adjusting fine. He's dating someone else now or they're going on their first date tonight I think."

"You'll have to fill me in on that later. Back to you though. I know you aren't spending all of your time with Puck because who would do that voluntarily?"

"You two just need to get married already." Santana joked, knowing those two don't really get along.

"Gross."

Santana laughed and took a drink of her water before speaking again.

"It's someone from the town."

"Santana, did you meet a boy in small town Jasper?" She mocked while poking Santana in the shoulder with her index finger.

"I met a girl in small town Jasper." She waited for Rachel's response while holding her breath.

"You made a new friend? That's great, San. As long as she's not my replacement. You know how territorial I get."

"It's not really like that."

"Good. Then, I like her already. What's her name? What's her story?"

"Quinn. Her name is Quinn."

"And is she the reason I've got you back?"

"Rachel-"

"I'm glad you found a new friend, San. Really. I'd like to meet her. Could she have come up with you or did she have some cows to tip? I heard that's a thing people do in small towns. I've always wanted to try it." Rachel clearly thought she was hilarious.

"Please, you walking in those shoes into a cow pasture, yeah right. Look, Rach-"

Rachel's phone rang in her purse. She pulled it out and checked the caller ID.

"Oh, hold that thought. It's the boy. I hope he's not ditching me tonight." She stood up and walked toward the back door, which she unlocked and walked out of closing it behind her. Rachel never did like talking on her phone in front of people including Santana. It was one of her little quirks that Santana always teased her about. Santana leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes as she took in the recent developments. She had truly missed her friend. Rachel had been there when her parents died and even when Santana pushed her away, she still stuck around and now they were back and it was as close to old times as it was going to get after Santana's loss. Her eyes opened when she heard the doorbell. She looked out the back and couldn't see Rachel.

"Rachel, the door's not even locked." She opened the front door and was immediate confronted by her girlfriend's lips on her own. "Quinn!" She tried to talk, but Quinn lips were insistent. Santana couldn't stop kissing her back because she couldn't really resist her when she was like this. Her hands took their place on Quinn's sides as Quinn started in on her neck.

"I love you. When I saw you were gone when I woke up, I already missed you." She kept kissing her neck before trying to pull up her shirt.

"Quinn, wait!"

"Santana, I promise we will talk, but I want you so badly right now. I thought about touching you the whole way up here." She took one hand and put it over her shirt on Santana's breast. "Please…" she begged.

"Um… hello?"  
"Shit!" Quinn moved faster than Santana thought humanly possible and immediately put her hands in her pockets while Santana's face grew red with embarrassment as she turned to face Rachel.

"Rachel, this is Quinn. Quinn, this is Rachel and this is not at all the way I wanted you two to meet."

Rachel moved toward Quinn and put out her hand for her to shake. Quinn did.

"So, this is _the_ Quinn, huh? Santana and I were just talking about you. Apparently though, she left out a few things. Pretty big things to leave out. Friends don't usually touch each other like that."

"Yeah, like you haven't thought about touching me like that before, Berry." Santana joked. "And I was getting to those pretty big things, but you took a call instead. As for you," she turned to Quinn. "I asked you to stay there. Are you here because you want to fuck me or are you here to talk to me about last night?"

"I guess I got caught up in the moment. I'm sorry. I can't really choose one or the other though because I always want you and I always want to talk to you."

"That's a good line," Rachel remarked as she sat back down on the couch to grab a piece of her leftover vegan pizza while leaning back to observe whatever was happening between these two.

"Specifically about last night?"

"Yes, San. I told you I wanted to do it in person and I'm sorry, but I couldn't wait two days to talk to you."

"So, this is really interesting for me because well, I never thought you had this in you San, but I'm guessing you two need some alone time. So, how about I skedaddle and give it to you?" She took one more bite before dropping the rest in the box and stood up with her purse. "San, are you staying here or at the apartment while you're home?"

"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about that. I've been a bit preoccupied."

"Okay, well the apartment is always half yours' so come back whenever you want and I'm hoping you're still going to be there tonight. Cute boy just called to confirm and he said something about buying me a drink."

"That's great Rach, but I don't know."

"She'll be there." Quinn walked back to Santana and took her hand.

"Quinn, you can't just make decisions for me."

"Santana, I know you're mad at me and we can deal with that, but you haven't seen her in a month. You should go with her."

"Rach, I'll call you and let you know. What time are you heading over?"

"We'll be at The Pawn Shop around 9."

"The Pawn Shop?" Quinn asked.

"It's a dive bar just outside the city. It's popular with, well with people who like dive bars and free parking in this city. Oh, and when you get there, we are _so_ discussing this in more detail."

"I'll call you, Rachel. Go." Santana implored so she could talk to Quinn alone. She couldn't help feeling the relief that comes from seeing Quinn and touching her skin, but the anger and sadness was still very much bubbling just beneath the surface.

Rachel hugged her friend and Santana let go of Quinn's hand so she could hug her back. Rachel waved goodbye to Quinn before heading out the front door and closing it behind her.

"I can't believe you came up here when I asked you not to and then you walk in basically begging me to let you fuck me in my parent's house!"

"God, I didn't even think about the house part. I just drove here. I didn't have your apartment address so this was the only place I knew you could go to. I'm sorry, San."

"What were you going to do if I wasn't here?"

"Wait for you to show up until you do and if you didn't, I'd call you non-stop until you actually just had to call me back out of anger or annoyance. At least then you'd talk to me."

Santana moved to the coffee table to pick up the pizza box and started walking toward the kitchen. Quinn followed.

"Damn Berry and her vegan diet. I so did not miss that about her and you can't just do this, Quinn. I asked you to stay away for a reason."

"I know. I can't control myself when it comes to you. You know that. My heart takes over for my brain and it's like I turn stupid or something."

"So, I make you stupid?"

"Okay, now you're being petty. You know what I mean. You can be mad if you want for what happened last night and for the fact that I'm here when you don't want me to be, but don't take apart everything I say and find another meaning."

Santana put the pizza box on the kitchen counter and stood against the sink facing Quinn with her arms crossed. Quinn slowly moved toward her and put her hands on Santana's arms pulling them down to instead rest at her sides while Quinn's hands went to Santana's belt loops.

"Are you trying to get me naked again?"

Quinn laughed a small laugh before moving her forehead to rest against Santana's.

"No. I just need to be touching you when I say what I'm about to say."

"Is this where you break up with me?"

Quinn's head snapped back and she stared into Santana's eyes before Santana's head bent down. Quinn wasn't having that though she used her thumb and forefinger to pinch her chin and move her head back up so she could see those eyes.

"I don't know why you keep thinking I'm going to end things. I wasn't just trying to get you naked earlier when I told you that I missed you the moment I realized you were gone this morning."

"Quinn, you can't say things like that to me if you're not willing to talk to me about-"

"I know. Last night when you said what you said and then asked me if it was okay, all I wanted to do was say yes to you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I was terrified. I've never been more scared of anything in my life. Seeing my dad in the hospital would maybe be on top of the list of scariest moments, but you are right there alongside that."

"Quinn, you have to tell me if I'm going too far too soon. It's my MO. I tend to move quickly when I want things. You can't just get quiet. I'm not as good as you are at figuring out things without words."

"Yes, you are. You knew something was wrong without me saying anything. I even smiled and kissed you to try to cover it up, but you figured it out and feigned sleep. Listen, I want those things, I do. I know I started it with the baby thing and then egging you on while we were… doing things, but God hearing you talk like that turned me on."

Santana smiled as Quinn turned red and suddenly got quiet. Santana's hands went to her face to brush the hair behind her ears.

"Turned you on, huh?"

"Fine. Make fun if it means you're talking to me."

"I'm sorry. Continue." Her hands went behind Quinn's neck as she pulled her in closer and Quinn's wrapped around Santana's waist and started rubbing shapes under her shirt on the small of her back.

"I love this. These are the moments I love the most with you. I love when we can just _be_. I see us doing this in that house with those kids as they play at our feet and I can't wait to see you go postal at some parent during a game like a regular ole soccer mom screaming in Spanish."

Santana put her head back against Quinn's as she smiled.

"If you see those things, what happened last night? If you were so terrified then, what's changed today to get you to be all honest now?"

"I realized how stupid I was being and no, I'm not blaming you for that this time. I am scared because I am struggling."

"With what, Quinn? Why can't you just be happy? With me? With everything?" Santana's concern lifted her head up as she pulled Quinn impossibly closer.

"I don't know about leaving Jasper and I already told you, you're not allowed to stay because of me. If you want Boston, you should have Boston."

"Q, we don't have to do this now."

"You wanted to talk about this…"

"Because I wanted you to say, 'Yes Santana, I love you and I know this is fast and crazy, but I also know that I am meant for greater things than can be found in Jasper, Indiana. It won't be easy, but I know we can make it or something like that. If you're going to say that you can't or won't leave and tell me I'm not allowed to stay, then I don't want to talk about it because that leaves us with one eventuality and I can't think about that." Santana separated herself and walked toward the living room. She kept walking toward the front door and opened it leaving it wide while Quinn followed her into the space and saw what she was doing.

"Would you honestly move to Jasper for me?" Quinn asked standing next to the couch with her arms over her chest.

"Would you be with me if I did?"

"Just answer the question, San."

"I don't know. I'd have to think about it. I would have been thinking about it already if I would have known leaving would be this hard for you. I get it and I'm not mad that you're struggling with this. I guess I just thought that we'd be talking about taking the next step. It doesn't have to be at the end of the summer. This is still new, and I'm willing to do long-distance for a while and then that next stop would involve us living somewhere together. Not necessarily in the same place if we're not ready for that, but at least the same city and then we could talk about moving in together."

"Boston…"

"Somewhere I can work and you can go to school. That's all I want, Quinn. I want you to have everything you wanted and had to put off. I want to help you get those things if you'll let me, but I just want you to be happy. If you honestly think staying at home will make you happy then I will just have to understand."

"Where does that leave us? Are you kicking me out?" She motioned toward the door.

"Everything's just so up in the air, Quinn. Doesn't that bother you?"

"A little, but I'm more worried about how much it bothers you."

"Just go home. Let's just leave it where it is right now. Call it delaying the inevitable, but I don't like where this conversation is going and if you go, then we're still together and there's a possibility we can work this out."

"Jesus, San! What's the point? You've made up your mind already. You don't seem to understand what's at stake for me. I've barely left Jasper. Warren is as far as I go consistently. I've made about 5 trips up to Indianapolis and you were the reason for two of them. My whole life is that town. My parents and my sister and Finn are my whole world. I lived with my parents until last year helping to take care of my dad and my sister while my mom did what she could at the store. I took the job at the bookstore because of the apartment above it and only because my mom begged me to at least move out on my own. Three days later, my dad fell in the shower and cut himself on a razor. He couldn't move. If I were still living there, I would have heard him yell. Beth's grades are terrible and I'm worried she's just going to pack up and run off to LA because it's where dreams come true if I'm not there to constantly tell her how stupid that would be. Finn is a wreck if he doesn't have someone pushing him to get places on time and wear a clean shirt. His uncle tries, but he's a farmer and doesn't have a lot of time. I do those things, Santana. I keep them all together and it means that I don't get to have what I want, but it's okay because I love them." Quinn stopped as a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She wiped them away before going on. "My parents already lost one child and if I leave them even just to move away, they'll at least partly lose me too and Beth won't be far behind. I can't do that to them no matter how much I love someone."

"You act like you'll never see them again. Like I'm trapping you somehow. I'm not going to take you away forever or lock you in a cell, Quinn. You act like you can't ever visit or that I won't let your parents into our house if they come to visit."

"It's not the same. One trip every few months will turn into once a year and then once every couple. What if something happens and I'm not there? What if I go to Harvard and something else bad happens?"

"Quinn, is that what this is about?"

"Santana, you don't get it. I don't think you can get it."

Santana closed the front door.

"You're scared. I do get that. I feel it too and I'm sorry I can't take that away for you. Take the worry and the pain. I think we both have to face what's going to happen at the end of the summer." She said that last sentence before she was able to stop herself from putting it out there.

Quinn moved toward her, but Santana took a step back bracing herself against the door for support. Her legs were about to give way.

"You said you wanted me to go so we can delay. Let's just do that, San. Let's just be us for now."

"I can't anymore. Hearing you talk like that…" Santana's hands were shaking as she tried to keep up her resolve. She knew how much she loved this girl. Quinn had brought her out of the unbearable grief she had buried herself in for months. She had given her back a part of herself that she thought had been lost with her parents. Quinn had saved her. She really helped Santana save herself, but she couldn't love her and not really have her. She couldn't stay in Jasper even for Quinn because Jasper isn't where she belongs. Quinn was right. The only things she liked about the town had her in them. Take Quinn out of Jasper and Santana was just bored listening to depressing music in the guesthouse watching the world move on without her. Yet here she is asking Quinn to make the same change for her. She thought she was doing it for Quinn because Quinn wanted Harvard. She wanted out of Jasper. Santana still new these things to be true, but she had put too much weight on them. She equated Quinn's dreams with her own. Santana's desire to move on and make changes was a new development in her life because of her parents. Quinn's been adjusted to her life for a while now. She is living her new normal and even if she has dreams for herself, they do not compare to the love she has for her family and the need to be there for them. Santana had been kidding herself in thinking that they'd have this life together. Even if she stayed in Jasper for an extra month, three months, six months, it wouldn't matter. At some point, she'd end up mad at Quinn for not being willing to leave for her or she'd just leave and then they're even more hurt because it took so long for her to make the choice she always knew would come.

"I love you." Quinn said it like it was the last thing she'd ever tell her girlfriend.

"And I love you, which is why I have to let you go."

The door was opened again. Santana pushed it wide and walked to Quinn. She kissed her on the cheek tasting tears. She couldn't make eye contact because she knew she'd give in if she saw pain in Quinn's emerald eyes. She just walked past her and into her old bedroom. She closed her door behind her and sat on the edge of the bed. A few moments later, she heard the front door close and her sobs immediately filled the silent house with heartbroken sound. It seemed like her entire body was busted into pieces at the sound of that door closing and she was struggling to find oxygen in a room filled with it.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

The Pawn Shop was one of those locals only places and when Santana arrived a little later than Rachel requested with red, swollen eyes and a clear feeling of regret, the place was pretty much empty save the group in the corner Rachel was with. Santana saw her friend having fun and agreed that the guy she was talking to was indeed worthy of the name "cute boy." She thought of turning around and leaving so as not to damper the evening, but just as she headed back toward the door, Rachel saw her.

"San, hey! Come over here. We were just about to order another round!" Rachel half-yelled because of the loud Mellancamp song playing on the jukebox. Santana slowly walked over and prayed that her heavy makeup covered up the fact that she had been crying for hours.

Rachel introduced her around to the group of actors she works with. She smiled and nodded along as they talked about inside jokes from the production. Santana noticed that Rachel was smiling a lot at the cute boy who she introduced to Santana as Brody. He bought her drink after drink and even bought Santana a few rounds, which she drank happily hoping the liquid would numb her pain and awkwardness.

A couple of hours into the night, Santana was sufficiently drunk and Rachel was cheering her along as she took yet another shot of tequila. In their years of friendship, Rachel had never seen Santana this drunk and it was then that she noticed the heavy bags under her friend's eyes and the pain that seemed to be behind them. She had stopped drinking earlier so she'd be sober enough to drive and she was beginning to worry about her friend.

"Santana, why don't you slow down a little?" She implored as Santana borrowed Brody's beer with no intention to return it.

"Why? I'm fine." Santana declared defiantly. "Let's sing, Berry. You and me. Battle on the bar. I doubt it has Defying Gravity but does that jukebox have any Beyonce?"

"I think we should just get you some water."

"Come on, don't be a chicken, Rach. Think you can't take me?"

"I'm not supposed to sing outside of the production." Rachel lied. "The director doesn't want me to damage my voice."

"Fine. Whatever. Maybe Brody will join me."

"Nah, I'm cool here." Brody spoke up and with no one willing to stand on the bar and sing along to the jukebox, _Coyote Ugly_ style, she gave up and wandered off to the bathroom.

A little while later, Rachel said goodbye to the friends who remained and got a goodnight kiss from Brody before she hopped in Santana's dad's SUV to drive her friend back to their shared apartment, leaving her car behind to pick up the next day.

"I know you're drunk right now, but will you tell me what happened? Tell me about Quinn. I'm guessing she's the reason you got so wasted tonight. I don't think I've ever seen you drink so much."

Santana didn't respond. She just rolled down the window and put her head outside to embrace the chilly wind as the car moved through the center of the city past Monument Circle, the landmark of Indianapolis. During the holiday season, the city wrapped the tall cone shaped monument with lights and turned it into a Christmas tree. People all over the city showed up to drink hot chocolate and eat gingerbread cookies sold on carts by vendors. They counted down and the stone tree lit up the night. The buildings surrounding the circle displayed reds, greens, and whites in their windows. The feeling of the season was exemplified in those moments each year. Santana and her parents went every year until their last one. She told them she didn't have time. She was busy with finishing up classes and trying to figure out how she was going to deal with Evan. They went alone and sent her a picture of them standing in front of the tree. She opened the message and clicked the photo away quickly to refocus on her work. It was those moments she wanted back the most. The ones she dismissed and turned away from. They could have shared one last tree lighting and enjoyed one more photo. They were gone now and all she had left were those photos she once thought were so unnecessary.

"I love her." Santana offered it up to the invisible tree.

"Okay…" Rachel acknowledged as she tried to focus on driving, but still look at her friend with concern.

"I can't stop thinking about her."

"When did this happen? It seems so fast, San."

"When I first saw her on the edge of a lake while I was being driven away from her on a boat. Maybe I should have taken that as a sign. Maybe that was fate or destiny or God or whatever telling me, 'I know you want her, but you can't have her. I'm literally pulling you away so pay attention,' I should have paid attention."

"San, what happened? What did she do? Tell me."

"She was honest. It's my fault really. She told me we shouldn't do anything. She warned me, but I didn't listen." Her head fell back to rest against the seat and she rolled it toward Rachel. "I don't understand why this keeps happening to me, Rach. I keep losing people."

"San, you're parents died. It's terrible, but it happened and it's not your fault. I know you think it is, but it's not. And I don't know this Quinn girl, but when I first saw you today, I knew something had changed. I never thought it would be this, but I knew it was something. I don't know what's going on, but the way she was with you today, the way she ran at you and couldn't stop herself, I've never seen someone that desperate to be with someone they missed. Someone they clearly love. And I've never heard you talk about anyone the way you just talked about her."

"It's over now. I'm not going back."

"To Jasper?"

"I'm going to stay here. Puck can bring my stuff back whenever or not. I don't care. I can't go back. She curb stomped my heart and I don't want to see her again."

With that, her eyes closed and she fell asleep, well she more or less passed out. Rachel had to wake her briefly to help her walk to their apartment on the fourth floor. Santana almost fell several times and laughed between her almost silent sobs. Rachel propped her on her bed and she fell back to sleep. She didn't even have time to put the blanket over her or try to get some water in her. Rachel watched Santana for a few minutes to make sure she was okay before she took Santana's phone from her purse and left the room making her way to the living room and then continuing past it deciding she may wake her friend from there. In her own bedroom, she unlocked the phone with Santana's easy to crack password of 5,6,7,8.

She tried to resist the urge to go through her text messages to see if she could find answers there, but that was made difficult by the fact that upon unlocking the first screen was the messages most recently exchanged.

Quinn: I love you. Do what you need to do in Indy, but please call me when you get back. I don't want you to let me go.

Santana: Please don't text me anymore. I can't.

Quinn: I need to know you're okay. I need to know we'll be okay.

Santana: I can't promise you either of those things.

Rachel scrolled up through the hundreds of other exchanged messages between the two. She tried to skip past the dirty exchanges wishing there was a way to bleach her brain when she saw what Santana wanted to do to the girl. She noted the flirtatious texts at the beginning of their friendship and into their relationship. She could easily see the progression and couldn't believe how fast her friend had fallen for Quinn. Quinn's messages were equally as loving and Rachel knew she had been correct earlier in her assertion that Quinn loved her best friend very deeply.

The problem between the two of them didn't seem to start until that morning when several of Quinn's pleading texts went unanswered. It was clear that Quinn thought she had done something wrong, but Rachel couldn't tell from the messages what that might be. It was nearing 2am, but she moved over to the contacts anyway and found the number she wanted.

"San? Thank God!" Quinn was clearly still awake.

"Actually, this is Rachel."

"Oh," disappointment rang through the phone. "Where's Santana?"

"She's sleeping it off."

"Sleeping what off?"

"She had a few too many tonight. I'm completely invading her privacy, which I never do because she has threatened to axe murder me before, but she is broken again. She was fixed and now she is broken and it's clear you did that to her so I want you to fix her again." Rachel held the phone to her ear and took a long breath. "I want my friend back. I miss her and I thought I had her today and now she's gone again."

"She won't talk to me. I don't know what else to do. I don't know how to fix it."

"How did you fix her the first time?"

Quinn didn't respond at first and Rachel could hear her thinking through the phone.

"I didn't know that's what I was doing. I was just myself. She looked lost when I first met her. I thought maybe she just needed a friend since the ones she brought with her seemed occupied. Honestly though, I didn't _do_ anything."

"Well, do some deep recall then because whatever you didn't realize you were doing changed her for the better and whatever you did last night or this morning or this afternoon made her spend all afternoon crying her eyes red and swollen. She covered them in foundation and came to the bar anyway because I begged her to not knowing what was going on, and I have never seen her drink so many shots in my life."

"Is she okay? I mean did she-"

"She didn't do anything. I wouldn't let her do anything." She paused. "Give me the brief synopsis of whatever it was that caused this."

"She wants me to leave Jasper… not tomorrow, but someday soon. She's leaving at the end of the summer and I'm staying. She wants me to leave, but I don't think I can. I have too many people here who depend on me."

"And if you leave will those people still be there?"

"Yes, of course."

"Do you think Santana wants to tear you away from them?"

"What? No!"

"Do you want to live in Jasper for the rest of your life, yes or no?"

"No."

"The next five years?"

"No."

"The next three years?"

"No. Why are you doing this?"

"Do you love Santana?"

"Yes."

"Do you want her to stay in Jasper with you?"

"No, it's just-"

"Is Santana worth the risk?"

"Yes."

These questions were rattled off as quickly as Quinn could respond. Rachel paused before asking the next one.

"When you think of your life years from now, who are you sharing it with?"

Quinn breathed in deeply causing Rachel to almost feel it through the phone. "Her."

"The reasons you want to stay, I'm sure, are valid. I don't really need to know them. Here's what I do know. You are madly in love with my best friend. I can't really fault you for that. I know how amazing she is. She loves recklessly and openly and she risks her heart because she hopes that someday she will find someone worth taking that risk for. She's been through a lot lately and it has changed her. Some for the bad, but some for the good. She was going to live here and work with her dad side by side, but he always wanted something else for her. Architecture sure, but somewhere a little more dynamic. Somewhere that she fits. She's free to do that now and she sees something in you worth taking along."

"What if I'm not good enough for that world she fits into?"

"One thing my friend is very good at is making people feel like they belong even if they don't. When we first met, I was a bit of a drama queen. I had no friends because I was always focused on my career. I want to be on Broadway in case she didn't fill you in between those very dirty, inappropriate text messages. At first, she mocked me incessantly, but then she felt sorry for me and pulled me into her group of friends and now she's like a sister to me. She has a way of making people feel like their special just because she's talking to them. Somehow, I think she'd make an extra effort for you. I should tell you though that you're losing your chance because she's generally not one to try these things twice. One and done in relationships. Even with friends. You normally only get one chance with her. She's stubborn. She's always looked forward. Recently, she's been doing some looking back for obvious reasons, but she's looking forward now and she's doing that with you."

"It's just happening so fast. One minute, I think I'm going to be alone forever and I'm dealing with accepting that and the next, she shows up and I'm falling in love. It's only been a few weeks and I feel like my whole life is different."

"It is. For the better. You should know though that she's staying here. At least that's what she told me before she passed out. She doesn't want to go back to Jasper."

"What do I do? Should I come back up there?"

"If you tell her I told you to do this and it backfires, I will deny it, but my suggestion is that you do some serious thinking tomorrow. Santana's birthday is on Tuesday."

"I know. Noah's having a party."

"We're going to move that up here since she doesn't want to go back. If you want her… and I don't just mean for this summer. If you can tell her that in the near future you will do the long-distance thing from there to here and then you will move up here or move wherever else it is you two decide is right for you, then come up here and surprise her at the party."

"That sounds risky."

"Love always is or at least that's how it is in theatre, but you just said she's worth the risk. Look, I think this is crazy. I don't know how you two have gotten this far into things so soon and why it's so important to her that she gets some kind of commitment or understanding of what's to come and maybe it has to do with losing her parents, but if it's what she needs, you have two days to figure out if you can give it to her. She just lost the two most important people in her life and the idea of losing one more is killing her."

"And what if I need more time?"

"Take it. I'm just making a suggestion here. God, this is so stupid. I feel like I'm in that Disney Channel show I auditioned for last year. I'm going to bed now. Someone needs to be up to help her nurse that hangover she's going to have in the morning."

"Thank you for calling me. I know this sounds messed up…"

"Like I said, just fix it. Fix my friend."

She hung up abruptly not really knowing if what she had done was right or wrong. It made her feel better. It made her feel like for once she had helped her friend. For once, she could take action where for so many months she could do nothing.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Her blonde hair was down as Santana swept it behind her neck so she could lean in and suck on her pulse point. Quinn's hands moved to undo Santana's bra. She moved back so it could be tossed aside before she lowered Quinn onto the mattress and looked down on the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen. She took a deep breath before hovering over her and kissing her deeply so as to convey not only her passion, but her love.

"Santana, we have to stop." Quinn told her when Santana pulled away from the kiss. She had only intended a momentary pause so she could take a breath before kissing the girl again, but Quinn's words halted her movements.

"Why?"

"Because we said this was over, remember?"

"What? No we didn't. I love you."

"If you love me, why are you pushing me away?"

Santana woke up and snapped out of her dream that had turned into a nightmare. Her hangover was as brutal as Rachel suspected it would be. She helped her as best she could before heading off to a rehearsal. She called Noah and told him to change the party plans or cancel it without revealing why the change was necessary. He said it would be better to have it up here anyway and they settled on just doing it in the apartment with a few of Santana's close friends. Santana agreed when Rachel returned that evening and told her of the switch in locale.

She had spent the entire day in bed either watching soap operas or scrolling up and down through her messages trying to remember how she had gotten back here. Back to what she did after her parents died, locking herself away from the world outside and trying to block out the pain.

She barely slept that night. She had grown accustomed to having someone next to her and in her absence, she was finding it hard to keep her brain focused on anything other than why that someone wasn't there.

The morning of her birthday came and went. Rachel had a class and a meeting for the show. Noah made plans to stay with that girl he had hit it off with and was bringing that evening. Even though Santana wasn't sure a party right now was the best idea, she knew her friends wanted it for her. They were doing whatever they could to try to get her to move her life forward. She would oblige them despite her pain.

She showered and allowed the water to cleanse her body silently wishing it would also cleanse her heart and mind as well. She readied herself while Rachel readied the apartment. Noah arrived early with his new girl, who looked like every other girl he'd ever dated, but Santana decided she didn't have the energy to make fun of him for having a type. He told Santana her name, but Santana failed to make note of it. She knew this girl wouldn't be around long. Noah was clearly in his date everyone phase and finding love was something he'd focus on later rather than sooner.

Evan arrived with Brittany. They were holding hands so Santana guessed the date went well. Mike brought Tina who seemed to be acting differently toward Santana than she normally did.

"Because it's your birthday and because this summer is almost over and I don't know when I'm going to see you again after this and because we're friends, I want to tell you something." Tina said softly and without her normal ambivalent tone and then took a drink as if she needed to extra second to put together her words.

"Okay?" Santana wasn't sure where this was going. She'd been acting nice. Was her mood about to shift?

"Mike told me he liked you."

"What?!"

"Not now. When we first started dating. He mentioned that he used to have a crush on you or really that it was more than a crush. He knew you were with Evan, but he really liked you. He was drunk when he admitted this, but he said he hoped you'd dump Evan back then and give him a chance."

"Tina, we never-"

"I know, but it's hard for a girl to hear that when she really likes a guy, you know? Hearing him say that about you when I was already in love with him, made me blame you for it."

"I get it."

"It's just that you're you and you're pretty and smart and funny and I'm just a girl who used to stutter to try to get attention and Mike is amazing and I thought he'd end up leaving me for you and that's why I acted how I acted."

"Okay. Even if he would have tried something, I wasn't interested. I knew you liked him. I wouldn't have done that to you."

"I think deep down I knew that and when you were happy with Evan, I wasn't as worried, but then you broke up with him and you disappeared and I guess when I saw you at the beginning of the summer, all the feelings from before came back and I worried again. Even though I know Mike loves me and I know he's the kind of guy that's going to help someone carry their luggage or get them a drink, it just brought up the memory every time he'd do something like that for you. I know that's not your fault, but I couldn't help it sometimes."

"You could have just talked to me about this like a million years ago instead of making it a whole big thing." Santana thought about all those years of friendship they missed because Tina never revealed what she was feeling.

"It's not like you're the easiest person in the world to talk to, Santana. I tried to tell you once at that dinner at Evan's, but you blew me off, remember?" Santana remembered the dinner and she recalled Tina following her into the kitchen when they were getting everyone a drink. She thought back at how Tina was trying to talk to her about something, but she had been focused on getting back out to the table because everyone was telling embarrassing stories and she didn't want to miss anything. "I'm really only telling you tonight because you seem like you're different now. Like you're more open or something. I don't know how to describe it, but since I'm moving soon and I know Mike and I are meant to be, I thought I at least owed it to you to explain why I was the way I was and that I'm trying to change."

"I guess I am kind of hard to talk to." She thought about what Tina was saying and she was partially right. Santana wasn't always the person people wanted to have hearts to hearts. She had a tendency to shut them down or get defensive, but maybe now she was grown up enough to just let them get it out and then respond. "Can we just be friends again? You know I don't want Mike and Mike clearly wants you. Can we just not be bitchy anymore and try to be friends?"

"Yeah, that sounds cool." Tina smiled and took another sip of her drink.

Santana wasn't 100% happy and she knew she wouldn't be for a while, but it felt good finally having this talk with Tina. All this time, she thought Tina was just being a catty bitch, but she failed to consider that there was a part of her that made Tina not want to talk to her about what was bothering her.

They listened to music and talked for a while before Artie challenged Santana to a video game rematch and she killed him several times over. She laughed a few times and it was nice. Puck and Rachel talked by themselves for a while as his new girl talked on her phone. At least Noah had kept his promise. The party was low-key. Rachel kept looking toward the door as if she was waiting for someone else to arrive. Santana started to ask her what it was about, but Artie brought out the cake before she got a chance. She blew out her candles and everyone cheered.

"What did you wish for?" Noah asked.

"She's not telling you. She actually wants it to come true," Rachel scolded.

Santana closed her eyes thinking of her wish. She looked at Rachel who looked toward the door, but when no one came through it, they just cut the cake, opened some presents, and enjoyed the company until everyone went home and Rachel cleaned up. Santana tried to help, but Rachel wouldn't let her. Santana's bed felt a little more comfortable that night. For some reason, she felt like she was going to be okay. Not happy. She was all but certain she would never be happy, happy. She had her friends though and her cousin and aunt and uncle. She had Evan until he returned to Chicago, which he confirmed he would be doing at the end of the summer and that he and Brittany were now an official couple. Brittany had changed her Facebook relationship status from "It's Complicated" referring to living with Puck while dating Sam to "In a Relationship" earlier during the party.

Santana's wish was that her parents would walk through that door and wish her happy birthday. She saw her dad engulf her with his safe arms and pull her in for a tight hug screaming happy birthday. Her mother would stand aside at first before moving in for the group hug. She'd introduce them to Quinn for the first time and they'd all eat cake and open presents together. They'd dance their ridiculous old-school dances in front of her friends, everyone would laugh, and then they'd leave early so she could have the rest of the night with her friends and her girlfriend. Everyone would ask Quinn a million questions about how she and Santana fell for one another and she'd pull Quinn into her bedroom for a few minutes of privacy. That was the image that pushed Santana into a deep sleep.

Rachel did the best she could to keep Santana occupied the next few days. They went shopping, visited some of their old haunts and went out to dinner. Every time, Santana left her phone somewhere, Rachel had to resist calling Quinn and screaming at her for not showing up for the party. Santana was putting on a brave face, but Rachel could tell she was hurting. It was a different kind of pain than when she lost her parents, but Rachel wasn't sure if it was less pain. She caught her staring at pictures a few times, but Santana would always put them away if she thought Rachel could see.

The rest of the month went like this. The summer they should have had together was now almost over. Santana had a few more meetings with the lawyer and everything with the money got officially sorted out. She was now a millionaire living in a tiny apartment she shared with her friend. She offered to take care of Rachel's student loans or at least pay her rent, but Rachel refused. She even offered a trip for the two of them to New York for Rachel to explore and maybe find a place she'd like to live when she was finished with school, but Rachel said no. Evan and Noah had no need for money as their parents were well off and she tried to offer Artie money, but he just said he'd be making it hand over fist when he joined his big law firm. Santana told him she'd keep the offer open in case he ever decided to go back to film and needed to finance an indy movie. It appeared to Santana that no one wanted money from Santana's dead parents, but to all of them, it was money ear marked for her to have the life they wanted for her, the life she wanted for herself.

Her father's business went to his partner and she inherited even more money from the sale. She thought daily about how she would use it since none of her friends seemed to want it. She shopped for a few things she needed and invested some. She set up a lunch with her aunt in Chicago to go over some of the specifics of the investments. Her aunt wanted to make sure everything was being handled correctly. She also wanted to find out why Santana was staying in Indianapolis when she had explicitly told her to stay in Jasper.

"So, everything's all set up then?" She asked while picking at her salad.

"Yeah, the lawyer made some recommendations and I have a broker now who handles the bulk of the hard work. I'm 22 and I have a broker. Didn't see that coming. The business went to dad's partner and now I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the rest. I don't really know how this became my life, but whatever." Santana added. Her salad sat untouched. She was nervous, which she never was with her aunt, but she knew she was just biding her time. Soon enough, the topic of the summer would come up and that would lead to Quinn and that would lead to her coming out.

"You know that money is supposed to last you a while. You don't have to spend it all. You should just keep it where it is and let it grow interest. Follow your dad's good example. I would recommend you buy a house though."

"What?"

"Something modest. It's a good investment and you're not in college anymore. You should buy something since you can afford it… start putting down roots. You can find great stuff in Chicago and there's a lot of architecture work here."

"You want me to buy a house in Chicago?" Santana raised an eyebrow.

"Why not? Your family is here. Noah's going to be working for your uncle now. I know you're not with Samuel anymore, but there might be some nice architect at whatever firm you join."

"I'm not moving to Chicago. The wind will do nothing for my hair."

"Well, I tried. You can buy a place in Indy if you're more comfortable there. Cheaper cost of living too so you can probably get a bigger house and more land for less."

"I don't think I'm staying there either." She took a drink of her iced tea and looked down as the lemon moved around with the ice. Her aunt's fork clanked against the side of her plate.

"Okay. Enough sidestepping. Tell me what's going on. Noah told me you didn't spend much time with anyone down there in Jasper, but that you'd made some new friend that you spent all your time with and he said you were finally starting to act like your old self again. I can see a hint of that now, but only a sliver… a tiny sliver. You left Jasper two months early and not even Noah knows why. You don't want to stay in Indy, you don't want to move here, and you don't want to go back to Jasper. I miss them too Santana and I'm not trying to tell you how to grieve, but I want you to start living your life again. I want you to be happy."

Santana nonchalantly pushed her plate toward the middle of the table. Her salad still looked as if it had just been put together.

"I was… I was happy… in Jasper, I was happy." Her voice was soft and she wasn't sure where she was going with it, but she kept talking as her aunt stared. "I went down there planning to ignore you pushing me into socializing. I wanted to ignore Puck and Evan and even Artie and Mike, but especially Tina. She was still being a bitch about something that never even happened."

"What did happen?"

"I met someone."

"Your friend, Quinn? Noah told me about her."

"She wasn't just my friend. She was for a little while. Wait… no she wasn't. She was never just a friend. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. She's the reason I left the guesthouse everyday. I had a reason to go somewhere to talk to someone and I loved it. I loved her."

"Santana, are you…?"

"Yes. Meeting her has sort of put things in perspective for me. I've never felt like this about another girl. Well, for anyone." She paused and looked into her aunt's eyes so she would know she meant what she was about to say. "I'm gay. I haven't spent a lot of time trying to sort that out in my head. I was too busy trying to feel something for the first time in a long time. I wanted to take in every minute with her because I knew we only had the summer."

"Sweetie, what happened between you two?" Her aunt seemed to be ignoring the grand revelation to focus on the specifics of her relationship with Quinn, which Santana took as a good sign. Maybe her aunt wouldn't care after all.

"The same thing that happens to a lot of couples when they're in two places, not just physically. I can't stay there and she can't seem to leave. So, what's the damn point? We couldn't find a way to meet in the middle."

"She's the reason you left?"

"I can't stay there and not be with her and I can't be with her if I'm only going to have her short-term. I can't lose someone else. I know I've already lost her, but it would get worse the longer it goes on and I can't handle worse."

"Santana, I'm so sorry. If I would've known, I wouldn't be giving you such a hard time."

"I know that. I'm trying. I am, but it's hard when everything reminds me of either them or her. I've been thinking about putting the house on the market, but every time I go there, I see the last place they lived. I see the memories, the deck dad built, the stain on the carpet where I spilled fruit punch and the picture mom painted hanging on the wall. I also see the last time I saw Quinn playing over and over again in the living room. I see her standing by the front door and I see myself coiled up on my old bed crying until I couldn't breathe."

"This girl really did a number on you."

"It's not like that. She didn't do anything wrong. She loves me. I know it. That makes it harder somehow. It's like I know she's out there and that if I went back to Jasper she'd want me for however long she could have me."

"Why can't she leave?" She put her elbows on the table as she leaned in to listen intently.

"Her family situation. She's under the impression that they can't live without her. I know they needed her help for a few years and they're not great now, but even her parents have told her to get on with her life. She just doesn't think she gets to have the life she wants. She's scared and part of me can't blame her because I am too."

Santana told her aunt Quinn's story from start to finish. She told her how they met and that they first bonded over school. She told her about the trip to Warren where they toured the church and Santana yammered on about architecture while Quinn smiled and listened. She explained about Kaleb and Quinn's father even bringing up the fall in the shower right after Quinn moved out. Finn came up and her aunt brought up that she had a Finn before she met her uncle. Santana told her about how supportive Evan has been since she trampled all over his heart and how great Quinn's parents were to her. The hardware store and the financial problems came up and while Santana didn't know all the specifics, she knew the store needed help especially with the new shopping centers in Warren driving customers out of town. She talked about Harvard and Cambridge and Boston and the house and the kids and the law firm and coffee trips and lunches. She told her aunt everything she could remember about her time with Quinn and her time since they last spoke. Her aunt sat silently as Santana recounted each detail noting the smiles at the beginning of the monologue and their fading away as the sadness took over and water filled her nieces' eyes. She passed her a napkin and moved to the closer chair so she could hold her hand. The check had long been taken care of and the waiter had made every indication that it was time for them to leave so when Santana was done, the two walked outside to the car where her aunt drove them back to house. Santana would stay the night there since her aunt and uncle didn't want her driving so far after the dinner they shared.

Santana fell asleep much better that night than she had all month. Her aunt opened the door to the guest room after she knew Santana was out and sat in the desk chair watching her sleep for a while. The girl had been hurt again, but this time her aunt felt she could actually do something about it and she was determined to help her niece get the happiness she deserved even if it meant Santana would hate her for a while for interfering.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22:

Rachel had warned Santana that she was going out for the night and would probably be staying at Brody's place. They had been attempting to date since that night at the bar, but it wasn't easy with their hectic schedules to find time alone. Brody always seemed to be busy and he wore a pager on his damn hip. Who still has a pager in 2014? Rachel left and Santana was on her own for the night. She hopped online and did some shopping. Christmas wasn't exactly coming up, but she had the time and knew what she was getting Rachel and Puck. Shopping made her think of another gift giving occasion. Quinn's birthday was coming up. It was crazy to consider how much time had passed since they had talked. No calls or messages had gone either way. Santana needed to cut off all ties and part of her was grateful Quinn respected that, but a much bigger part was disappointed that she wouldn't fight harder for her.

She took a long walk around the city the next afternoon sitting for a while by the monument thinking about her parents. She stopped into the Red Eye Café and had their signature coffee. That place was always busy and was popular with the after hours crowd. Santana knew she could lose herself there.

Rachel arrived back at the apartment late afternoon while Santana was out. When Santana walked into her bedroom, she saw Rachel packing one of her bags with her clothes.

"Um… you know this is my room, right? I know I went through all your stuff when you first moved in because it's a thing that I do, but when did _you_ start doing it?"

"I'm packing." She continued her work.

"Rachel, what's up? Do you want me to get lost so you and Brody, the hairless wonder can be alone here?"

"No. Brody and I aren't together anymore."

"You're not, what happened?" Santana sat on the edge of the bed while Rachel kept packing.

"I broke it off. No big deal. It's not like we were really together anyway."

"Hey, stop. Pretend like I care for a moment. Talk to me." Santana grabbed her friend's wrist in an effort to halt her movements, but Rachel kept going moving from drawer to bag and back again.

"He's been… It doesn't matter. We weren't technically a couple. It's just-"

"Did he cheat on you? I'll kill him! I'll go all Tanya Harding on his knee caps."

"He didn't technically cheat, but he's been making money for school by… offering his services?"

"You mean offering his penis?"

"Yes, Santana. He's an escort and sometimes he has sex with the women he's escorting. I told him I wasn't okay with that and so it's over. We never slept together so at least I don't have to worry about getting anything."

"Still, you should scrub your skin Gattaca style and use prescription strength mouthwash just in case." She paused to get serious for a moment. "I'm sorry, Rach. I can still kill him if you want."

"No, you can't because you and I are going back to Jasper."

Santana stood up and backed away.

"No, we're not. I mean… you can do whatever you want. I'm not going back."

"Her dad's in the hospital, Santana."

Santana's body shifted backward pushing itself into the makeup table behind her. The attached mirror rattled slightly at the movement.

"What?"

"I wasn't at Brody's last night. He and I actually ended our thing the other day. I went down to Jasper to try and talk to her."

"You what? I feel another urge to grab a crow bar, Rachel."

"You're on pause, San. You stare at a computer all day or take walks around the city. I just wanted to talk to her in person and find out for myself what's going on. I went down there to talk to her and when I asked Noah to show me where she worked or lived or where she might be, he said she was in Warren at the hospital with her dad. He knew because of the sign on the hardware store saying they were closed. He found some guy he knew in town to get the details."

"Is her dad okay?"

"He had a blood clot. He's been in and out of the hospital ever since. I guess it happened on your birthday. He's had some heart problems, but the doctors released him yesterday and he's at home recovering now."

"I guess she was right. They do need her there."

"Santana, it's not like she's a doctor. She can't fix what's wrong with his body and her mother and sister were both there when it happened. They even had friends over at the time."

"Did you talk to her?"

"No. I didn't think it was right to bring up your stuff with what was going on. I spent the night at the lake house and drove back this morning. You and I are heading back right now. You're going to be by her side if she needs you to be and I'm going to help you get this girl back and convince her to run away with you if that what it takes for you two to work this out or if it's just a matter of you getting closure-"

"Rachel, it's not like it's that easy. If it were just about me going back to see her, there wouldn't be a problem. If anything, this just makes it worse."

"So, you don't want to see her knowing what she's going through?"

"I never want to see her again and always want to see her. It's an all day constant battle for me, but if she wanted me there or even wanted me to know, she would have told me."

"You're being ridiculous and very dramatic and that's my thing. Now, get your stuff and let's go."

"Rachel, I am not going."

"If I have to grab the crowbar you were going to use on Brody and use it on you, you're getting into that car and we're driving down there. Even if you don't want to see her, you should see her dad. You said you really liked him. Besides, Evan is leaving for Chicago soon. He got some modeling job or something and they're having a going away party at the house for him and for Brittany. She's leaving with him and I think you at least owe him an appearance. So, get your shit and let's go." Santana had never heard Rachel curse when she was sober.

Rachel's mind was made up and Santana knew there was no changing it. She made a deal with herself that she would visit Quinn's father, but only when she knew Quinn wasn't there and that she would attend Evan's party because Rachel was right. She did owe the guy a proper goodbye since she had been so terrible at that before.

Santana stared out the window at the now familiar scenery down the one road into Jasper. Her heart began picking up its pace as they approached the main stretch of town. They passed the bookstore and the hardware store. Santana's breathing starting to force itself from her lungs and she couldn't seem to keep them filled. Rachel noticed and took her friend's hand across the middle console, but she could tell it really wasn't helping. Santana had never really been a touchy, feely kind of friend.

"I know this is going to hurt, San, but you need to get closure or whatever it is the psychologists call it. For better or worse, at least you'll put this part behind you."

They pulled into the driveway of the lake house where Noah and Evan met them. Noah gave Santana a long hug and passed a half-hearted hello onto Rachel before carrying their bags inside. Evan followed close behind as Rachel and Santana hung back for a second.

"You ready?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah, I guess things can't really get any worse."

"Well, that depends on your definition of worse."

"What does that mean?"

"I slept with Finn." Rachel blurted out quickly and moved briskly toward the house.

"You did what!?"

"I met him yesterday and you know I'm not normally a one-night stand kind of a girl. I can count on one hand the number of guys I've slept with, but I ran into him and we got to talking and then we kissed and then we did more. Coming down here today was about you, but it was also a little about me. I think I like him." She affirmed before opening the front door and walking into the house.

Santana laughed lightly before following everyone inside.

"You like Finn? How long have you known him? 24 hours?"

"How long did you know Quinn before you had feelings for her?"

"Yeah, yeah. So, what are you going to do? You can't exactly be on Broadway and live in Jasper. Are you two a thing now?"

"He's not staying here anyway. His uncle and cousins are running the farm with his mom and he's interested in moving away. It's how we got to talking in the first place. He asked me where I was from and he mentioned wanting to move."

"To New York? Because that's where you'll be soon."

"We didn't get that far."

"I'd say you definitely got far, you little slut." Santana joked.

"You're hilarious. Anyway, I told him I'd come back and see him again, but I swear I really am here for you. Not just him. I just thought you should know."

"Whatever. I'm happy for you and all that crap. Just don't be all cute and flirty around me and if Quinn doesn't know already, she'll find out soon and since I'm not going to talk to her about it, I suggest you tell him to so she doesn't find out from the constant rumor mill that is this tiny ass town."

A few hours later after catching up with everyone, she walked toward the guesthouse. The blinds were pulled down, but the door was unlocked as if she had just left the room moments ago. She slowly opened it and walked inside. The room didn't need light with its many windows still delivering a light source even when covered. She looked around at the couch that was still pulled out into the bed and she noticed something she knew she hadn't left behind. She moved closer and sat on the bed lifting up a thin sheet of paper. She recognized Quinn's handwriting immediately and began to read it to herself.

San,

You left this morning without saying goodbye and I know it's because of last night. I hope you call me back or at least text me, but if you don't at least you'll see this when you get home. I love you and that scares me more than you know. I know you want me to be able to say that I can leave here whenever I want, but I don't know if that's possible right now. I don't want to hold you back. I don't want you to have to wait for me. I don't know when I'll be able to leave this place behind, but I want to do that and not just because of you but because you were right. I need to start living my own life. It may not be next month or even next year and if I lose you because of this, it will kill me, but I don't think I can ever lose you all the way. You're a part of me now. Please just talk to me. Don't push me away. I love you.

Love always,

Quinn

Santana was flat on her back and in near tears after she finished reading it for the fourth time. She thought back to that day to the ignored calls and messages and to the conversation they had that forced Quinn into her car to drive to Indy where they ended things. How had everything gone so horribly wrong? Had Santana even given her a chance to explain? Had she just expected Quinn to say, 'let's go tomorrow anywhere you want,' with her whole life in Jasper?

She composed herself before going back inside to meet with her friends. Rachel and Noah were sitting next to each other.

"What about your new boyfriend, Berry? Won't Finn get jealous of you and Noah here?"

"He's not my boyfriend."

"We were drunk one time. You'll never let that stupid kiss go, will you?" Noah asked.

"Nope."

"Shouldn't you be checking on someone?" Rachel asked referring to Quinn's dad.

"Shouldn't you be doing a farmer?" Santana joked.

"You're deflecting. Let's go. I'll drive. No more putting this stuff off." Rachel stood and grabbed her purse and keys.

"Sure, we wouldn't want to put off having me go through a painful experience so you can squeeze in some hot barn sex."

"Gross, San!" Noah exclaimed.

Rachel and Santana walked out of the house to the driveway where Rachel's car sat. She knew she was only going to talk to Quinn's dad and maybe her mom if she was there, but the thought that she was seeing anyone who represented that part of her life to her was terrifying. She felt her lungs again search for air, which was becoming something she was used too. She considered turning around. Really, there was nothing Rachel could do. She was tiny and not likely to be able to force her to do anything and Puck wouldn't help her. She had to realize that no one forced her here. No one was making her talk to Quinn's dad. She was an adult and she made her own decisions. She decided to face her demons and get in the car. It really couldn't get any worse, could it?


	23. Chapter 23

To answer your questions, yes geekGirl0xfab, I do read reviews and no I am not too cool for that. : )

And for those of you who are worried, ***spoiler alert*** there will be no character deaths.

Chapter 23:

Later, Santana was sitting with Rachel in the car outside of Quinn's parent's house. Quinn's truck wasn't there, but Santana had called Kurt to check to see if she was in town just in case. She was with Beth at the bookstore and he told her he'd keep any eye on them and let her know if Quinn left. It all seemed like some sort of covert spy mission from Rachel's perspective, but she understood Santana wasn't ready to see her especially after she showed her the letter.

It seemed to have opened an old wound. Rachel had gotten good at noting Santana's behavior. What she was seeing now as they sat in the car told her that Santana was regretting something. She had her 'I might have made a mistake' face on that people rarely saw because as Santana would say, "I'm never wrong." Of course, she knew that wasn't true, but getting Santana to admit that she was wrong was always a chore.

They waited awhile so Santana could work up the courage to ring the doorbell. When she was finally ready, she walked up the ramp to the front door and pushed it in immediately hearing the still familiar bing bong sound bounce around the house. A few seconds later, Quinn's mother was standing in front of her.

"Santana? Oh my God! Come in. Come in." She ushered the girl into the room with her. "We've missed you around here."

"I'm just back for the night. I wanted to stop by and make sure he was okay."

"Well, that's sweet of you. Quinn's missed you. I know it's only been a few days, but you'd think it been a year since she'd last seen you."

Santana sat on the couch next to the woman and thought about what she had just heard.

"A few days?"

"Since she visited you up in Indy. She said she had a blast at some place called The Pawner."

"The Pawn Shop?"

"Yeah, that's it. She said you showed her around the city. I'm really glad you two are making the long-distance thing work, but I thought you were staying the whole summer."

Santana didn't know what to say. Apparently, Quinn's parents thought they were still together and she didn't know how to tell them they weren't. She also didn't know why Quinn was lying to them and didn't want to tell them the truth if Quinn had a good reason for not telling them. She might have wanted to get them through this new health crisis before she broke the news and Santana didn't want to cause them anymore stress than they were already under.

"Uh… I had to get back. Some family stuff to work out and my parents left me some money and property and I needed to get back to sort through everything. How are you guys doing here though? I'm so sorry to hear about…"

"Oh, you don't worry about us. We're doing fine. He'll be 100% soon enough. Between you and me, I think he's milking it a little so he can stay in bed."

Santana laughed. Quinn's mom reminded her of her own. Her parents were always going back and forth about how much of a wimp her father was when he was sick.

"Well, that's good to hear. I was worried."

"I was too there for a while. The blood clot was scary, but once we were past that, I had to start thinking about medical bills. We were still paying off the first round when this happened. His physical therapy each week is expensive enough and I'm sure Quinn's told you about the money problems at the shop. We were barely scraping by, which makes her feel like she can't leave us here. No matter how many times I tell that girl it's not her job to take care of us, it's the other way around, I can't seem to get through to her. Now, I have one more reason to tell her to get the hell out of here."

"What reason?"

"The money."

"What money?"

"Did your aunt not… Oh, I guess she didn't. She was here a couple of weeks ago. She was in town to deal with some things for the kids at the house and she stopped into the shop. I was there holding down the fort and we got to talking about everything. You came up a few times. Quinn, of course. Then, we had lunch at the diner and I spilled way to many details about my life and our money problems. She offered to give us the money to take care of everything, but I declined of course."

"She offered you money?"

"And she wouldn't take no for an answer. She finally agreed to loan us enough to get back on our feet. It took some convincing around here, but I just decided that I didn't care what the rest of the people in this family thought. This was the right decision. The medical bills are taken care of and she gave us enough to make some changes at the store."

"She didn't tell me that. I offered to help Quinn out a while ago, but she wouldn't take it."

"Oh I know, honey. She's stubborn like that, but she just loves you and doesn't want to start your life together on the wrong foot. Your aunt set it all up so it's legal with interest any everything just like we'd get at the bank, but she gave us a much better interest rate."

"I should hope so. Friends and family discount."

"Like I said, that's one less reason for Quinn to tie herself here. I can take care of her father myself and if I need to, I can hire some help now. I'm sure she was going to tell you soon, but since you know now I think you should call her on it so you two can get within city limits of one another for more than a couple of times a month and I was thinking that maybe you could help us with the remodel at the store. Not the manual labor, of course, but with the redesign. If you wouldn't mind, we could use an architect's perspective. Blaine told me his friend, Kurt is some kind of a designer so he's already agreed to help us with making the building look a little more modern with flare as he called it."

"Yeah, I'd like to help," Santana knew it was unlikely to actually happen because once they found out that she was no longer in a relationship with their daughter, they might find it awkward asking for her help, but she liked the idea of helping Quinn's parents get themselves back on their feet.

She visited with Quinn's father. He looked pretty good, but not 100% yet. He seemed to be under the same impression that she and Quinn were now partaking in a long-distance relationship and that they were planning to have a life together outside of this town. After her brief visit, she stepped outside, noticed Rachel looking at her, put one finger in the air to tell her she needed a minute and she dialed her aunt.

"Hello Santana," her aunt greeted.

"Did you loan Quinn's family money?"

"You weren't supposed to find out about that. At least not yet. I was going to tell you on your next visit here."

"Why did you do it?"

"Because I want my niece back and if money was the reason she was staying behind, that was something I could help with. I haven't been able to help you in a long time, Santana. When we lost your parents, I lost you too. I thought a summer away would help get you back on track and I forced you into it, but I had to do something. I didn't know that by doing that, I'd cause you more pain. I had to try to fix it somehow and if it means helping a family get out of a financial hole, it's win-win."

"It doesn't mean Quinn and I are going to suddenly figure things out."

"I know that, mija. Money won't fix it all. That's up to you and her. You can be mad at me if you want, but no matter what happens, I'd do it again."

Santana turned to look back at the house for a moment and then at Rachel. She wanted to be upset with her aunt for taking steps without talking to her about it first, but she had to remember that regardless of what happens with Quinn, her family is better off now and that's what really matters.

"I'm not mad. I just have a lot of thinking to do that I thought I was done with."

They exchanged their goodbyes and Santana got back in the car with Rachel.

"And?"

"Let's just get out of here."

Rachel was never very good at not pushing, but she felt like this moment she better leave her alone. She also knew Santana would tell her about it eventually. They arrived back at the house just in time for the start of Evan's going away party. Noah had been putting things together for it all week and was pretty excited to throw this party over Santana's because Evan gave him no limits. There were already at least 50 people there. Santana only recognized a handful. The rest were people from town. She was pretty sure every person between the ages of 17 and 25 was in their basement, down by the dock, or on the boat that was sitting on the dock.

Santana put in her 15 minutes and smiled and nodded as she was introduced around and passed from person to person. She finally found Evan in the kitchen getting a beer.

"Hey, great party you're having here." Santana moved from around the refrigerator and pulled out a beer of her own.

"It's really more for Puck than for me. I think he's starting to sense his time here is nearing its end. Half the people have left already and I'm heading out now with Brittany. Artie's only here for another week before he heads home to prep for the big move to Connecticut. I think he invited all these people so he could make some temporary friends to party with until he's forced to join the real world."

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm going to miss you."

Evan took a drink of his beer and Santana tipped hers' to him to clank them together in a mock toast.

"Yeah?" His question was genuine.

"Yeah. I'm sorry for what happened between us. You go back to Chicago, have fun with Brittany and don't become an accountant. You will suck at it."

He laughed.

"And you?"

She hesitated and looked down at her beer, which she promptly picked up and chugged before setting it back on the counter nearly empty.

"I'll let you know."

"Just promise you'll come visit sometime and that when I'm back in town we'll still hang out and not because we went out once a long time ago, but because we're friends."

"I'll think about it." She smiled. "Well, I am all partied out. I think I'm going to crash out back. Will you tell Rachel for me?"

"If I can find her. She's probably in one of the bedrooms with that Finn guy and I am not going in there."

"Gross. Even though I know they're doing it, I don't want to know they're doing it, clear? There just aren't enough degrees of separation there, ya know?"

"Clear."

They shared a laugh again before Santana escaped through the backdoor and quickly made her way to her private guesthouse trying not to get grabbed by the few people still hanging out back. When she got inside, she quickly closed all of the blinds and hopped in the shower and turned her music on trying to drown out the club music someone was playing by the boat.

She wrapped herself in a comfy beach towel and made her way into the main room and turned to grab herself a bottle of water from the mini fridge.

"You went to see my parents?"

She jumped and nearly dropped her towel. She grabbed it just in time as she turned to face her intruder, but the grabbing caused her to lose her balance temporarily. Quinn made her way over as fast as she could to help, but before she could get close enough, Santana was standing tall again. They stood facing each other for a minute. Santana's eyes needed time to process the site before her. Quinn's hair was down with her bangs swept to the side. She had on skinny jeans with tennis shoes and a green sleeveless shirt that hugged her everywhere a shirt should. Those beautiful eyes were boring down into hers and pleading for something. Santana just couldn't tell what exactly.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24:

"I heard about your dad. I just wanted to make sure he was okay." Santana told her while trying not to be mesmerized by Quinn's flawless form as she stood in front of her.

"Is that the only reason you're here?" Quinn asked her hoping it wasn't and waiting desperately for her to say she came back for her.

"It's Evan's going away party... and Brittany's too, I guess."

"I know. That's why I'm here. Evan came into the store and invited me earlier, which I thought was a little odd, but now I get it. I also happened to talk to my mom while I was helping Beth at the bookstore and she mentioned that you stopped by."

"For a guy that was so in love with me a few months ago, he is trying a little too hard to hook me up." She paused and looked at the floor for a moment. "Look, I'm just staying the night. I'm heading back with Rachel tomorrow. Well, I don't know if she's coming. I'm going though."

"Were you even going to see me? Were you just going to check on my dad and think they wouldn't tell me you were here and that I wouldn't stop by or call you to find out what was going on?" Quinn moved a step closer to her, but Santana stepped back toward the wall squeezing the towel tightly silently screaming at herself for not locking the door to the guest house or bringing clothes to the bathroom to change into after her shower.

"I've gone back and forth about it since Rachel shoved me in her car and told me I had to come down here to get closure."

"Closure?" She was hurt by the word. "You're here to get closure on us without actually seeing me? How is that even possible, Santana?"

"I told you why I'm here."

"Don't lie." Her voice was soft, but then it got rougher and a bit louder. "You've got your reasons all lined up, but you know you're here to see me."

"Quinn, we're done. You made your decision and I made mine. It's been over a month with no contact. I think it's about time we move on. I think it's time you tell your parents we're not together anymore. I'm not even sure why you haven't already."

"My dad's been in and out of the hospital, Santana. Telling them about us is at the bottom of my list of things to do right now. They have other things to worry about than their daughter's heart shattering into a million pieces." Her tone had gone from hurt to frustrated to angry in seconds and her pace was picking up. "I gave you what you asked for. You wanted me to leave you alone. I did. You can't just come down here and visit with my parents without telling me."

"Why does it matter? I kept your secret. I didn't tell them anything. They think I'm coming to a Saturday night dinner soon. They think you and I are going to be together after the summer ends. They think you had an awesome time drinking awesome shooters, listening to awesome music with awesome people at The Pawn Shop a few days ago." She quoted _Mean Girls_ in part because it was one of Quinn's favorite movies and also because they had watched it together on one of their lazy afternoons in the basement of the lake house. She took a deep breath. "Just let me sleep here tonight and drive off tomorrow. Then, I'll be out of your life forever and you can tell your parents whatever you want about me. Tell them I joined the Peace Corps and moved to Africa to help kids with those cleft pallets. I don't care." Santana was nervous now as she clutched her towel to her body. She felt very naked and vulnerable and afraid that Quinn would leave, but she was also afraid that Quinn might stay. She had to decide which she was more afraid of. "Quinn, please… just go. It's too hard." Her voice softened and Quinn noticed. Their eyes met. They were both silently pleading with the other and their pleas said too many things. Instead of trying to sort through all of them, Quinn opted to act on the one she knew they both shared. She moved a step closer knowing Santana could go no further with her back against the wall.

"Baby, I don't want to go." She moved her hand and rested it flat on Santana's stomach over the towel. Even though she wasn't touching skin, Santana could feel her entire body shudder and her breath caught in her throat.

"Don't call me that. We can't." She was able to release as Quinn's hand slid up toward where her hands were still clutching the towel.

"Tell me you really want me to go and I'll go," Quinn whispered that in her ear as she leaned into her body and use her other hand to slide the bottom of the towel up off her leg.

"You know I don't, but it won't change anything. You can't leave and I can't stay. Our timing is off. We just need…" Santana moved her hand on top of Quinn's hand that was moving up her leg. She pushed the foreign hand down and Quinn pulled her body off her. Her arms coiled around her torso and she continued to back away slowly.

"Closure. Right? I get it. I'm sorry I came." She turned to go, but as soon as she did, she was turned back around and tossed on the bed. Santana's towel had long since fallen off and she was on top of Quinn in moments. The fear of Quinn leaving was too much; it turned out, for her to deal with.

"Please…" she begged. Quinn flipped them over just as fast as she had been thrown down and began frantically kissing the girl beneath her. She wasn't sure if this was the last time they'd be together, but this moment was the only one that mattered. She had to pull herself away to tear off her own shirt because Santana was too far-gone to do it for her. Her bra was next because she couldn't stand another minute of not having skin on skin contact and when she leaned back down and their chests touched nipples first, she heard Santana audibly sigh. She tried to remove her belt while she moved her tongue from neck to earlobe and back again, but she didn't have the dexterity so she took Santana's hands, which were clasping sheets and moved them to her belt buckle. Santana frantically started undoing it along with the button and zipper. She started pushing the jeans down, but they were too tight to easily be removed. "Quinn, I can't get… them… off."

Quinn flew back off the bed and forced every last article of clothing off her body in one motion before not so gracefully again ending up on top of Santana. As soon as she settled between her, she wasted no time. Two fingers were pushed inside Santana who was already more than wet and ready for her. This time wasn't about build up or anticipation or making their first time special. It was about being together for the first time in over a month. This encounter was more about bodies craving contact more than their hearts and minds craving it. The fingers began their dance and Santana spread her legs as wide as Quinn's body would allow to give her more access. Quinn's mouth found a nipple and she treated it roughly much to Santana's delight. Her head moved back up as Santana's muscles began to tighten. It was then that her heart took over momentarily. She loved seeing Santana's face when she came. She loved being the cause of that feeling in this girl and she loved seeing her usually closed eyes shoot open and freeze in that position along with her body as it did just then. She watched the girl she loved come as she took her bottom lip between her two because Santana's mouth was still wide from not being able to contain the sounds that her body needed to make in these moments.

Quinn quickly moved her head down kissing random parts of Santana's torso before forcefully sucking Santana's clit into her mouth before she had even come down fully from her last orgasm.

"God! Don't stop. Fuck!"

Quinn's tongue licked everything she could and her fingers slowed inside her so she could replace them with her tongue and move both of her hands up her body. Santana took Quinn's wet fingers into her mouth and sucked them and the other hand massaged her breast. Santana's hand instinctively moved to the back of Quinn's head as she clasped her hair and opened her eyes to watch as much as she could. Just watching it was enough to push her over the edge again, but she was quiet with her reaction because she wasn't ready for Quinn to stop. Quinn knew Santana's sounds enough to understand what was going on and that Santana still needed her so she ignored the throbbing between her legs and kept her focus on Santana's body.

"God, I… missed… this." She commented between flicks of her tongue.

"Fuck. Me too. Jesus!" She paused. "Wait. Wait."

Quinn's head stopped moving and she looked up.

"What? Are you okay?"

"I want to be on top of you while you do that."

Quinn smiled at this and rolled her body over. Her head at first hit the pillow while Santana moved herself to an on her knees with legs spread wide position. Quinn slid her body down and put her hands on Santana's hips to hold her in place while her tongue just flicked her clit causing the body above her to first jerk and then move down to meet Quinn's mouth. Santana's hips rocked back and forth to help create the friction she needed and within seconds, she was coming for a third time. She slowed her hips while Quinn's pace slowed to match. Santana lifted herself so Quinn could more easily move from under her. Once Quinn's head was again on the pillow, she moved on top of her bringing her mouth to meet lips that tasted like her.

"What do you want?" She asked between kisses.

Quinn didn't answer. She just grabbed Santana's wrist and moved down. Santana took this to mean Quinn wanted her inside. She thought about teasing her for a while, but that's not what tonight was about. Quinn had made that clear. Fingers were inserted, hips rocked and Quinn came quickly. She had been so close already just listening to Santana and touching her all over. Two orgasms later and Santana was lying underneath her as she came on Santana's fingers that were plunged deep inside her.

After another round of heated sex, Quinn went to put on her shirt and Santana pulled her back to lie down. Again without words, Quinn understood her. She would stay the night. They would fall asleep together and worry about the rest tomorrow.

When Santana's body shifted underneath the comforter the next morning, her arm moved itself over to the other side of the bed so as to be touching some part of Quinn, but instead the hand met more sheets. Her eyes hesitated before opening because she knew she'd find no one next to her. When they finally flickered open and her head turned to the side, she confirmed Quinn's departure and instinctively coiled her body into an all too familiar position.


	25. Chapter 25

I couldn't leave you all hanging over night.

Chapter 25:

She looked around the room and Quinn's clothes were gone. There was no sound coming from the bathroom so she wasn't in the shower. She was just gone. Santana lifted herself up to look at the bedside table to see if there was a note and then found her phone in her jeans that Quinn had placed neatly at the foot of the bed for her. No texts or calls. Nothing. Just one night and she was gone. How had she gotten herself into this mess again? She was miserable without Quinn, sure, but she had started trying to deal with the idea of not having her around. Then, Quinn walks in and has her naked in under five minutes. Maybe Quinn just needed closure sex. She thought back to the night before and felt it was perfect. Exactly what they needed to start talking again. And now… she's alone.

The door swung open and the still naked Santana quickly grabbed the comforter to shield herself from the intruder.

"Not like I haven't seen it before," Quinn joked nonchalantly while trying to close the door with her foot and carry two cups of steaming coffee at the same time. Santana smiled before hiding it. She didn't know what last night meant to Quinn and she didn't want to let on that she had frantically looked for any sign that the girl didn't just make her an unconventional one night stand. "Also, you really need to start locking this door? What if some drunkard from the party last night stumbled in? They'd get a free show."

"You're still here?" She questioned and stated at the same time.

"Of course I'm still here. Did you think I'd leave you?" Quinn sat on her side of the bed and passed Santana her coffee before setting her own on the table.

"How was I supposed to know? I woke up and you weren't here and it's not like I planned on what happened last night and we didn't exactly review afterwards."

Quinn turned toward her and her hand went to tuck hair behind Santana's ear.

"I don't want that to be the last time we're together. It was amazing and I loved it, but I don't want it to be the last time."

Santana's moved herself so that her head was in Quinn's lap and Quinn continued to play with her hair as Santana started moving her hands up and down Quinn's clothed thighs.

"I don't either, but I don't know what to do."

"I have a suggestion."

"You do?" Santana sounded hopeful.

"I can't not be with you, San. I tried, but I can't. That's why I didn't tell my parents. That would somehow make you not being here real."

"Okay?"

"I've spent my whole life being told by everyone that Finn and I were going to have a happily ever after and there for awhile I thought maybe that's how love feels. Maybe I'm expecting too much because if this is what they're always on about in the movies, there's really not that much write home about. Then, I met you and I thought about how wrong everyone else was and how right those movies are after all."

"You're such a romantic," Santana mocked recalling how good it felt being in Quinn's arms and just talking.

"My mom told you about what your aunt did for us?"

"Yeah, I'm surprised you let it happen. You can be a stubborn little bitch sometimes, Q."

"I didn't have a choice. It's my parents decision and I had to let them make it, but at least I know they're going to be okay and not drowning in debt."

"I can't believe she did that. I had no idea."

"I take it you told her about us?"

"Yeah, she wanted to know what was going on with me and why I returned early. I just couldn't keep it from her anymore."

"How'd she take it?"

"She loaned your parents money. How do you think she took it? I mean, I'm sure she went to church and said a few prayers for me so I can still get into heaven being the Catholic that she is, but she understood."

"I have to stay here."

Santana shot up at that. She thought they were working toward something, but Quinn's repeating her same old 'I can't leave' mantra.

"I thought..."

"I have to stay here until my dad is better. The doctors in Warren say he should be fine in about a week. Then, I have to help him get the store back open. My mom said you're helping with that apparently."

"She asked for my advice."

"After that…" She took a deep breath and made sure Santana was looking at her as she said, "I'm all yours."

"Wait? What?"

Quinn moved until she was straddling Santana who was sitting up at the head of the bed.

"If you can give me a few more weeks, I can give you forever or at least however long you'll have me."

"Forever works for me."

What Quinn had said was the most romantic thing anyone had ever said to her. Quinn kissed her before she could even respond and Santana started to peel clothes off of the beautiful girl she wanted to touch so badly.

Even though they had been together a mere few hours before, this time was different. They took things slower once Quinn's body settled in between Santana's legs. Quinn's tongue moved smoothly over Santana's bottom lip enticing her to open her mouth further and let in. Once she did, Quinn moaned into her mouth loving the feeling of her tongue on Santana's. Her arm moved down Santana's side and then back up to caress her breast.

_Last night, Quinn had been so panicked that they had one night and one night only to express themselves physically before Santana would wake up and run back to Indianapolis without her. When Quinn woke up she stared at the indescribable beauty that was Santana Lopez. Her hair sweeping over her face, her flawless caramel skin, her nose which looked extra adorable as she slept for some inexplicable reason and it all took her breath away._

_ It was in those moments that she decided to be happy. She thought about her parents and how they'd been pushing her to go, but she never listened. She thought about Beth, who was leaving Jasper as soon as she could get enough money together. She thought about Finn who she had realized this past month, she had outgrown not only as a potential mate, but also somewhat as a friend. She thought about her brother and her father in that chair. She had always thought it was her fault. She knew it wasn't logical. She knew she didn't cause the accident that ended her brother's life and paralyzed her father causing her family unimaginable pain, but logic didn't matter. _

_You see, the day of the accident, Quinn was supposed to be in that car that day. She'd made plans to drive with her dad over to the field to watch her brother, but at the last minute, she backed out because she'd been in a fight with Kaleb over him invading her privacy. It was something stupid and it made her tell her dad to leave her behind. She'd always felt bad about that. Maybe if she had been in the car, it would have been her instead of Kaleb. Maybe the accident wouldn't have happened at all because she'd give her brother a hug after the win and that 10-second delay would have meant they would have missed the truck entirely. She was constantly replaying those thoughts in her mind and she felt she needed to make amends to her family. She needed to stay behind and work as much as they needed her to so they could at least make ends meet. Every decision she had made since the accident was about making up for that night. That night that at first was filled with happy news and an acceptance letter. That night was supposed to be the beginning of her life, not the end. And there she was staring at the love of her life begging her to be with her, but not being able to leave behind the baggage she had long been collecting. _

_ The truth was clear to her as her eyes took in both the present picture and the future one. She was not needed in Jasper. She wasn't supposed to run a hardware store, bide her time in a bookstore or mow lawns for tourists on summer vacations. She was supposed to love this girl and give her the life she wanted and needed. She was supposed to be loved by this girl so she could return those wants and needs. Her heart started racing as she thought of never seeing Santana again. Her body forced her to stop that thought because it was unbearable. She thought about what it would be like to see her like this every morning. They'd wake up. Quinn would wake first because she was the earlier riser. She'd make coffee and bring the cups into their master bedroom, which would be decorated with architecture plans designed by Santana and some old ones belonging to her father. She'd set the cup down next to her sleeping beauty and she'd lean in to kiss her forehead. Santana would stir at the touch and the smell of hazelnut, which was her favorite coffee flavor. They'd share mornings like this each weekend and more hectic ones throughout the week as they both readied for work. She saw their house. She saw their walks around the city and their vacations to Italy and Greece so Santana could take in the ancient architecture. It was then that the staring at the girl that used to be her girlfriend grew too difficult. She needed to be staring at the girl who was her girlfriend. So, she got up slowly making sure not to wake her. She picked up pieces of their clothing placing Santana's neatly at the edge of the bed and pulling on her shirt and jeans before opening and shutting the door without a sound._

_ She walked up to the house seeing the remnants of plastic cups and beer cans that littered the backyard. She entered the kitchen and smelled the coffee being poured by Rachel. She walked over to the girl and held up two fingers signaling the two cups she would need. Rachel pulled out two more and poured hot liquid before mixing it with the hazelnut cream Santana had left behind. _

_ "So, you stayed over?" Rachel half asked and half accused._

_ "And you're wearing Finn's T-shirt." Quinn did the same. "He wears that one a lot."_

_ "This is awkward."_

_ "Not really. He's all yours. I'm good." _

_ "I like him."_

_ "I'm glad. He's a good guy."_

_ "Yeah, he is. I've never really been like this before. Meet someone and just go for it. It's different, but I think he and I can actually be something."_

_ "Good. I want him to be happy. If it's with you, then that's great. Besides, I'm not really one to judge about moving fast in relationships. I owe you a thank you anyway."_

_ "For what?"_

_ "For making her come back down here."_

_ Rachel sipped her coffee while staring seriously at Quinn._

_ "If you're going to hurt her again, I will have to murder you. I don't want to, but it's a thing. I'm not a violent person, but I do have access to crow bar if need be."_

_ "I don't know what I was so scared of before. It's like I woke up this morning and realized I'd almost lost this part of me. I want everything she wants."_

_ "Good. Go tell her that."_

_ Rachel smiled as she took her coffee along with another cup along with her._

_ "Tell Finn I said hi. Well, maybe don't. That might be weird."_

_ "Weird." Rachel replied in a singsong voice without turning back around._

It was just a few minutes later that Quinn's tongue was rhythmically pushing, licking, sucking, and flicking Santana's clit. Her fingers had been inside and out, thrusting hard and fast for a few minutes before she moved down to taste her. Santana's hips were jerking up at every single touch. She came and Quinn helped her make it last before moving back up to meet her mouth. Her fingers stayed inside but remained still.

"I love when you do this." Santana's breathing was slowing as Quinn kissed her again. "When you stay inside, it makes me feel…"

"Whole?" Quinn finished her sentence.

"Yeah," Santana used her hands to push the hair out of Quinn's face and kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you."

"Roll over."

Quinn didn't need to be told twice. She pulled her fingers out to give her wrist a break, but as soon as Santana was on top of her, Santana took them and gently put them back inside her body causing Quinn to moan in pleasure before Santana's fingers moved to Quinn's clit and she gasped in pleasure. Santana's hips pushed down and in. Quinn's fingers stayed still, which Santana seemed to be okay with. Santana's fingers were pushed just right to make Quinn feel the rush starting. Santana sat back and started moving her hips in a circular pattern making Quinn's fingers move around inside her and bringing her a whole new level of ecstasy. Santana's fingers sloppily moved down and pushed inside Quinn trying to emulate the pattern. It didn't take long before Quinn had snapped up craving more of that movement. She pushed Santana back so that her head was at the end of the bed and Quinn was circling her hips and pushing down so Santana could feel the friction between their bodies.

"Fuck!" Quinn screamed into the air.

Santana's other arm went to Quinn's waist to hold her up while her thrusts and circles continued to increase in pace and direction. "God, baby! I'm almost there."

Santana moved that same arm up to cup the back of Quinn's neck to force her to look down and meet her eyes.

"Come for me, baby! I want to feel you all over me." Santana had never felt this aroused in her entire life. Every time with Quinn had been amazing, but for some reason, this was by far the most amazing moment they'd shared having sex and she felt extra confident in her ability to make Quinn's body react the way she wanted it too.

"Jesus!" Quinn's body froze before twitching and jerking. Santana's fingers started curling and pushing and pulling at a frantic pace as Quinn came hard all over her hand. As the wetness slid down her wrist, Santana's body had a reaction of its own and she came with Quinn's fingers still trapped inside her. It took everything in her to keep up the pace. She wasn't done with Quinn's body and she wanted so badly to make her come again. "God, don't stop, baby."

Santana flipped them again as sweat fell off their bodies. She pushed her fingers deep inside Quinn while using her hips for leverage. She couldn't take it anymore. She needed to taste what she had just caused. She pushed herself down while keeping her quick pace and Quinn's hand went to the back of her head. Her lips took her clit and sucked on it causing it to swell and throb further. She flattened her tongue and slid it from Quinn's entrance back up to her clit, which she took into her mouth again. She felt Quinn's walls clench around her fingers once more and she started moving them in circles again easily locating Quinn's g-spot and hitting it over and over while the girl's clit was flicked by Santana's tongue. She came again on Santana's hand. Santana stayed where she was. Quinn's hand was telling her it didn't want her to move yet so she just kept licking until the hand holding her head in place softened its grip and she could feel her body start to relax. It was a relaxation she hadn't felt in a very long time. Like she had nothing left to worry about. Santana lifted herself up and hovered over Quinn, who saw the same look of relaxation on the face above her.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26:

They didn't leave the room until well into the afternoon and that was because of their need for food. Quinn borrowed some of Santana's clothes and they headed to the diner. Quinn ordered them their usual and they sat talking and laughing until Finn noticed them from the street and headed inside and toward their table.

"Santana, hey." He said as he took a seat next to Quinn once again without being asked.

"Finn, San and I are having a late lunch."

"That's cool. I won't interrupt or anything. I'm supposed to be getting some stuff to go." He said to Quinn before looking back to Santana. "I thought you left though."

"I did. I'm back now."

"Cool. For how long? Just for the party last night?"

"Um… I don't know." She looked at Quinn who just winked at her. "Maybe another day or two and then I'll head back." Santana's response about waiting another day or two made Quinn smile.

"Are you going to come back for Quinn's birthday? I'm throwing my girl here a party."

"You really should be careful calling Quinn your girl. Other girls might think you are taken. Other girls like Rachel for example." She hated him calling Quinn _his_ girl, but she also didn't think he knew about her relationship with the girl and despite still wanting to kick him in the nuts for how he acts around her girlfriend, she knew that was Quinn's secret to reveal so she decided to come at it from another angle; the protective best friend angle who needed to look out for Rachel.

"Rachel's cool. It kind of came out of nowhere with her and I really like her, but Quinn and I got back together after you left for a while… until I met Rachel the other day. We're cool though, right Q? You understand? I don't really want to date around anymore."

Quinn's eyes were wide and confused as she looked over at Finn. Santana's color drained from her head down to her toes.

"Finn, we were not back together. I told you that already."

"Um… yeah we were… until I told you after Rachel left that I wanted to see where it could go and you told me to go for it, remember?" He asked her genuinely.

"Yeah, I said go for it because I wanted you to go for it not because we were dating. Why would I say go for it if I thought we were together?" Clearly Santana wasn't the only one who thought Finn could be a little on the slow side at times.

"Okay, I'm confused. If we weren't together, then why did we… Oh, was it supposed to be like the last time after we broke up when we-"

"Finn, shut up." Quinn was loud as she stared him down.

"I know we've done it before after we broke up, but it was always like 'just this once' or something. We always talked about it, but the other night…" He trailed off.

"The other night, what?" Santana interjected with a nervous question.

"Nothing, baby. The other night nothing. Let's just go. I'm not really hungry anymore. Let's just go back to my place and I can cook you something if you are."

"Did you just call her baby?" Finn looked back and forth between the two of them. "Oh, my God." He slowly began to piece things together. "The two of you are…together? Like together, together? Like you-"

"Yes, Santana and I are together. We have been since she got here this summer. I was going to tell you, but…"

"But then you didn't? What about after she left? At the bar and then at your place. I got it that night. We were drunk and everything, but then it happened again last week and now you're telling me you've been with Santana this whole time? I mean I like Rachel and all, but when I told you that I wanted to see her, it was more letting you know that if we were going to do this again, I wanted it to be casual until I figured out if I liked Rachel enough to like commit to her. I didn't know you were with someone already, Quinn. That's kind of messed up."

"You slept with him?" Santana stood with her purse hanging over her shoulder. Her legs were wobbly and she felt as if she could fall over at any moment.

"San, let's go. I don't want to talk about this here. It's not like that. Everything's getting taken out of context."

"You know what? I'm outta here. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I don't want to be a part of it." Finn waited for Quinn to say something back, but she only looked at the ground and then back up at her girlfriend. Finn understood and said, "Santana, I'm sorry. I didn't know. If I would've, I wouldn't have, ya know? Besides, it doesn't matter now. I want to try with Rachel so this won't be a problem or anything. I think I should be getting back to her anyway. I'll just tell her the diner was out of food or something. So…" He walked past Santana and moved toward the door walking outside and out of sight.

"You slept with him?" Santana repeated. "Twice?"

"I don't want to talk about this here."

"Twice?!" Santana asserted louder.

Quinn noticed Blaine behind the pie counter and motioned to him. He nodded and Quinn took Santana's hand and started to walk her toward the back of the diner.

"Please come with me. I don't want to talk about this in the middle of a diner."

Quinn pushed open the back door and they were standing in the dry storage room as the door swung closed behind them.

"Did you sleep with him, Quinn?"

"Yes, I slept with him. The night I got back from losing you, before Rachel called me, I went to a bar and got drunk. Finn was there and drove me home. He'd had a beer or two I guess and kissed me and then…" She faded for a moment not wanted to say the rest of it out loud. "After Rachel called, I kicked him out. Baby, I was drunk when it happened. When Rachel called, I sobered up quickly because I thought there was a chance I could get you back. I was going to drive to your party and tell you that I wanted to do long-distance at the end of the summer. Then, my dad was in the hospital and I missed my chance. It didn't mean anything with Finn, baby."

"Please don't call me baby right now." Santana forced Quinn's hands off her and wrapped her arms around her body for protection.

"You left Santana. We were over and I missed you. I thought it was over. I drank too much and Finn was just there."

"And last week? Did you accidentally trip and fall onto his fucking penis? I thought you were gay."

"I was lonely and I missed you. It wasn't supposed to confuse him. I thought he understood."

"How could he understand? He didn't know about us and you had sex with him twice, Quinn."

"You were gone, Santana. You cut off contact and you said we were over. Finn and I had been there before. It was easy. We'd done that a few times in the past where we weren't really together, but got together. I guess you could call it friends with benefits. I thought he understood. There aren't a lot of options around here and I fucking missed you. I never told him we were together. I honestly thought he was just telling me about Rachel as a friend; not because he thought we were a couple. And it wasn't like I sought out a guy to sleep with. There aren't exactly any girls here that would be available. He was just there. I want you. You know that."

"You're being a little too cavalier about this whole thing, don't you think Quinn? I think you're lucky he found Rachel when he did or you and I would have gotten a very different reaction out of the guy. Didn't you say he thinks you'll get married some day and you just treat him like a sex toy and don't explain the circumstances?"

"First of all, he's done the same thing to me before too. He and I used to understand each other better, but I guess we don't anymore. Secondly, that's a little bit of the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" Quinn's arms were crossed now as she took a step back and stood against a row of canned peaches.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You didn't seem to have a problem telling Evan off?"

"I didn't fuck him right before I did that. I told him the truth."

"You weren't exactly nice to the guy."

"What the hell is happening here? Why am I defending your ex-boyfriend while you're defending mine? You messed up, Quinn. You should have been honest with him about me and you should have told me about fucking him before…"

"Before we fucked each other?"

Santana was surprised at Quinn's tone and her word choice. She had never heard Quinn use that word to describe being together. During, she let out several expletives, but not in just conversation about their times together.

"Yeah, we fucked each other. A lot. But this morning, we made love. Over and over and there were moments that I thought maybe this was possible. You and I together… I thought… I love this girl and she loves me. We're going to make this work."

Quinn's face expressed total fear. She didn't like the way Santana's monologue was going. She knew this was serious and that she had been a little too cavalier with her best friend and that she should have told Santana about Finn, but she thought this was a mild fight that they'd laugh about later. Santana apparently had a different idea about what was happening causing Quinn to regret some of her words.

"Please don't make this a bigger deal than it is, San. I should've said something and I'm sorry. You know I'm sorry. I didn't want you to find out like that and I didn't want Finn to find out about us that way. I will talk to Finn and apologize and try to make things right and I will do anything I have to so I can make this up to you, but please don't keep going the way you're going. He's my past. You're here now. We were broken up when it happened. It's not like I cheated on you." Quinn's eyes were both nervous and hopeful that her words had gotten through to the girl.

Santana took a step toward her and Quinn's tension released a little. Santana's arms went around Quinn's neck and she pulled her into an embrace. Quinn immediately returned it holding Santana's waist as close as possible.

"I don't know if I can do this." Santana pulled away. "It's too hard."

Quinn stared into her eyes before moving her hands to cup her face.

"What's too hard? Don't let this stupid thing get in the way of us, San."

"It hurts too much. When you hurt me, it hurts… too much." Her tears began to fall down her cheeks. Quinn moved to kiss each of them away frantically trying to hold onto whatever she could.

"I'm not going to hurt you, San. I'll never hurt you again. I promise."

"You can't promise me that just like I can't promise you that. The thought of you being with him the first time is hard enough, but I can at least understand what alcohol does to a person and what that day did to both of us when we said goodbye, but the thought of you doing it again and him being on top of you. It was one thing knowing you two had been together before. We both have a history, but thinking about him and you and the things you did while I was curled in a corner missing you… miserable…"

"Stop thinking about it."

"I can't, Quinn." Santana's voice grew louder between sobs. "I can't not think of how you should just stay here with your family. Maybe Finn and Rachel won't work and you'll end up together like everyone seems to think. It's what the universe seems to want. Maybe that's why we keep getting pushed a part. I came here and I messed up the plan. I fell in love with you when I should have just listened to you when you said nothing should happen."

"Stop it. I don't care what the fucking universe wants. I want you. I don't want Finn. I want you. I'm sorry."

"I can't. I thought I could. I'm not ready for this. I thought I could be happy again and have a chance at a life without my parents. I was in so much pain before I met you. Pain was my everything. I replaced the pain with you and it felt amazing. You became my everything, but you can't be my everything, Quinn. I can't hurt like that again and that's how I feel right now."

"Because of Finn?"

"Because I let myself believe…"

Santana kissed Quinn's forehead and walked out of the storage room letting the door swing behind her.

There was something about Santana's words that made Quinn feel like this was the end. She knew it wasn't just because of Finn. There was more to it than that and for some reason Santana couldn't see past it. Their timing was off and it kept getting in the way of them being together.

Quinn stood in that storage room leaning against those canned peaches for several minutes before her body gave out on her and slumped until it hit the floor. She brought her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. The tears she knew were inside weren't coming out. They hadn't yet realized what she had already figured out.


	27. Chapter 27

I know many of you were frustrated with the actions of Quinn and/or Santana in the last chapter. I think you're all correct in that they're both wrong, but that's why it wasn't time for them… yet. Hopefully, you'll stick with me until the end, which is just around the corner.

Chapter 27:

With summer over, Santana felt the need to finally start moving on with her life with or without Quinn. She was packing up her parent's house putting their precious family memories in boxes that would be moved to storage until she could figure out what to do with them. There had been no calls or texts exchanged between the two of them. No e-mails or desperate visits. Santana had cried night after night and most mornings until she was all out of tears. She knew it was her decision to leave and end whatever they had, but that didn't change how heartbroken she was over it. The worst day was Quinn's birthday. During her online shopping craze, she had purchased several gifts she knew Quinn would like. She wasn't sure at the time what she would do with them, she just needed to buy them figuring that if they got back together, she'd have them at the ready. Quinn's birthday came and went with Rachel doing her best to distract her by taking her to Chicago to visit with her beloved aunt and uncle.

Her aunt was great with advice and she told Santana that if she felt it was the wrong time, she was right to trust herself. Santana tried to explain that even though she knew she loved Quinn, she was worried that she jumped into the relationship because she was craving someone to take the pain away. Her aunt gave her the cliché about how if it's meant to be, it will be and Santana cried for the last time that night. She was determined to get on with her life.

She sold her parent's house and bought one of her own. She interviewed with architecture firms and got a job quickly because of her skills and pedigree. Rachel wrapped up her summer show between visits to and from Finn and Evan and Brittany were doing well in Chicago. He met her parents and more importantly her cat and Brittany said Lord Tubbington gave Evan a pass so they were happy it appeared. Noah had stayed in Jasper pretty much on his own there at the end. Artie was the last one to leave and was now at Yale. Kurt and Blaine were officially living together in Quinn's old bookstore studio and Kurt e-mailed Santana often giving her details about the people in town he'd thought she'd like to know about and talked about the hardware store remodel he was helping with while Santana assisted him anonymously. Even though it hurt her to think of Jasper Hardware, she did tell Quinn's parents she would help. This was her way of keeping that promise. Kurt intentionally left Quinn out of his updates though knowing it would only cause her more pain. He did tell her that Finn was moving to Greenwood, a suburb of Indianapolis, but she already knew that from Rachel. They were very much in love.

Kurt said Blaine had told his parents about being gay and about loving Kurt. They didn't take it well, but Kurt said they were trying. Either way, Blaine was ready to leave and the two were trying to figure out where they wanted to live when they left the small town. Both New York and L.A. were on the table, but Santana silently hoped they chose New York so they'd be closer to her. She had really grown to like Kurt and wanted their friendship to continue.

With almost everything packed at the house, she knew it was time to go into her dad's office. Despite her numerous visits to the house, she still hadn't gone inside his favorite place. She thought about having a moving company come in and pack it up for her so she wouldn't have to do it herself, but the thought of strangers putting his stuff in boxes was too much. She turned the knob and the door creaked as it opened. She braced herself before taking a step in and looking inside.

It was just as he had left it including his still opened laptop. The ceiling to floor bookshelves on the left side of the room had gathered significant dust as she walked past them and dragged her index finger along their spines. She stopped when she reached several copies of the book he had authored. She thought of Quinn and her present and the night they shared after she gave it to her. She smiled at the memory. She moved to his desk and stared at the papers that had piled up. Most of them were bills he'd be sending to clients, but a few were rough sketches. Next to those, she saw an envelope with her name scrawled across it in her father's handwriting.

Her breathing picked up as she took it in hand and stared down at it. She couldn't open it just yet so she took it out to the living room and placed it on top of the box of her stuff she'd be taking with her to her new home. A few hours later, she had sorted everything into sections of the room based on whether it was going into storage, to her new house, or to her aunt and uncle in Chicago. Feeling successful, she wrapped up the day and went to her apartment with Rachel for the final time. Her aunt and uncle would be in town to finish the rest for her so she could complete her own move and start her new job on Monday.

She took one last walk around remembering the family barbecues and the growth chart on the wall in the kitchen pantry. She thought about how she and Puck played in the backyard and ran through the sprinklers during the summer while their parents laughed at them and drank iced tea. She walked into her old bedroom remembering how she had kissed her first boy over by the window. Thoughts of her night here with Quinn entered her mind as she recalled their almost first kiss. She smiled again growing more and more confident with the decision she made to leave her knowing she needed to find herself again before trying to make a life with someone. No matter how much she loved Quinn, happiness is an inside job and she was doing what she could to find it again and was hoping Quinn could do the same for herself.

Her new job kept her busy, but not busy enough by Santana's standards. They were starting her out on small accounts and she was assisting the more tenured associates on some of their projects, but she felt like she needed something else to do in her new city until she made friends. Her new boss suggested she teach some of his classes. Since he owned the firm, he only worked on with a couple of big clients and came into the office a couple of times a week. He also taught architecture to undergraduates at one of the copious universities around the city.

"Tuesday and Thursday nights from 6-8pm. You'd really be helping me out actually. I took on an extra class this semester and I'm starting to regret it. The wife is claiming she's forgotten what I look like."

Santana agreed almost immediately and couldn't wait to share her love of architecture. A few weeks into helping the professor by "filling in" without the university's knowledge, she decided teaching was something she'd like to do full-time.

"You want to be a teacher now?" Rachel asked one night while they talked on the phone.

"I want to be a professor of architecture. I love it, Rach. I can't explain it. There's just something about teaching them this stuff that makes me love it more. It reminds me of how my dad used to teach me and I want to do it. I can still work at a firm part-time or maybe have one of my own someday, but I think I'm going to go back to school."

"Wait. Back to school?"

"Yeah, I need a Master's to teach officially. I'm not exactly street legal right now. If the university found out, my boss would probably get in some major trouble. I've already talked to him about it and he's helping me get into the program and letting me TA for him next semester. He's got pull with BU since he's an alum and obviously a professor."

"Wow, San. I'm happy for you, but this is all happening very fast. Are you sure about all this? Going to grad school, working, living in a new city on your own and it's all happening at the same time?"

"I'm a little nervous, but I know this is what I want. Besides, if I fail, I still have my millions to fall back on." She laughed into the phone.

"Well, if it's what you want then I can't wait to audit one of your classes."

"Thanks, Rach."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you about Evan. He sent me an e-mail yesterday. He and Brittany are moving in together. They found a place right outside the city. She's making good money as a dancer, not the stripper kind and he's doing part-time modeling for now. Kind of fast if you think about it, but I guess there must be something in the water there is Jasper. It makes everyone love crazy. Anyway, his modeling is going okay."

"Abercrombie, okay?"

"Print ads in local papers okay from what he said."

"Well, I'm happy for him."

"Really? I mean, he's all coupled off, I'm with Finn, Tina and Mike, Artie has a new girlfriend. He told me her name, but I think I misheard it."

"What is it?"

"Kitty. But that can't be right. Probably Katherine and that's his nickname for her."

"Let's hope."

"I heard Puck's even got a fling going."

"And I'm still solo. Is that why you're asking?"

"Yeah. I just want you to be okay. Have you moved on? Are you happy?"

Santana thought about how to best answer the question. A couple of days before the phone call, she'd been asked out by a girl at work and she turned her down. There were many reasons for this, but none of them had to do with Quinn. It was more that she didn't think of her that way and that they worked together.

"I miss her."

"You could always call her."

"No, I can't. It wouldn't be fair to her. I can't just pop back into her life especially now that I'm about 14 hours away."

"You have millions of dollars. You can afford the back and forth, but why don't you start with a call?"

"So you want me to make a call and tell her that I miss her and that would inevitably mean I'd have to go to Jasper so we can begin an even more complicated long-distance relationship? And that's assuming she'd even be up for that. Is that what you want?"

"I want you to be happy."

"I am happy. I told you. I'm happy here."

"You're happy in your professional life, which I'm thrilled about. Trust me. I know you two have things to work out, but it's been months now, San and I just think you should talk to her. That's all. Call her. Maybe things have changed for her too."

"Do you know something I don't? You _are_ dating Finn. Have you heard something from the grapevine, Rach?"

"They haven't really talked in a while. They had a falling out over what happened. I think it's just still weird for all of us. He and Quinn were together. Then, you and Quinn were together and now he and I are together."

"Yeah, I know the history. I'll think about it."

"Okay."

"I have to go. I've got to finish filling out this paperwork for school so I can send it in."

"I'm proud of you, San."

"Thanks, Rach. I'll call you tomorrow."

Santana's first semester as a teaching assistant started on a Tuesday morning. She woke up, got ready, and worried over her lecture. She was just supposed to deliver the syllabus and class requirements, but she wanted to start the semester off right with at least an introduction to some modern buildings based on the world's oldest styles. By the time she had gathered her confidence, she was running 15 minutes behind schedule and was about to be late for her first class.

She hopped on the green line train and took it to campus. She practically ran to the building and scaled the steps regretting not having time to stop at her favorite coffee cart for her morning coffee. She made her way to the room with a few minutes to spare and began setting up the projector with her slides while the students started milling in. She looked down at the stack of syllabi in her hand and prepared to start her class when someone placed a cup of coffee on the desk in front of her. She looked up.

"I saw you walk in without coffee and I know how much you love your coffee," Quinn explained as she clutched her cup in her other hand and adjusted her messenger bag with her free one.


	28. Chapter 28

So as not to confuse anyone, this chapter is Quinn's side of what happened after Santana left the first time and then again after they went their separate ways after the Finn debacle. I've got line breaks in there to make it a little easier to tell when there's the shift in time.

Chapter 28:

After Santana left, Quinn sat on the floor of that dry storage room until Blaine finally came in to let her cry on his shoulder and then she returned to her cabin by the lake and stayed in bed for several days. She stopped returning phone calls and texts from friends and family. She stopped eating and stopped showering and stopped caring about anything other than wallowing in the fact that once again she had lost the girl she loved, but also in the fact that she was stuck.

In those moments of thought, she considered that she really hadn't done anything wrong. Sure, she misunderstood Finn and she should have clarified to make sure he knew they weren't a couple and sure she knew she didn't want to be with guys anymore, but of all the people in Jasper, she knew exactly 3 citizens that were gay and two of them were guys and they were a couple so it's not like she had any female options and it was easy with Finn. He never had any expectations after one of their encounters.

That first time after Santana broke her heart, the sex was just about taking the pain away even for a few minutes. It wasn't about Finn. It could have been anybody. She hated herself for that because that wasn't who she was. She'd never used sex like that before. She'd had sex with three people in her life. One was a guy she met at school in Warren after taking an exam and they dated briefly. The other guy was first her best friend and the most important was Santana, the girl she considered to be the love of her life after the moment she first saw her. She wasn't the type to go to bars and pick up someone just to sleep with them and she wasn't the type to use sex to drown her sorrows, but the booze was making her thoughts all cloudy. She knew that wasn't an excuse. She'd heard people use that line before and never thought she'd be one to use it herself and she knew she'd regret it forever, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

She'd been going through the motions and she knew she missed her chance at Santana's birthday, but she started to think that maybe she was putting too much weight on the birthday party. Rachel had suggested that she make the grand romantic gesture then, but there really wasn't anything stopping her from making it on some random Tuesday either. She checked with her mom that day and told her she was making the trip to Indy to visit her long-distance girlfriend when in reality she was hoping she could just get the girl to agree to be her girlfriend again. Her mom told her she'd be fine taking care of her dad and told her to say hello to Santana for her.

On the way to Santana's apartment, the address of which she had gotten from Rachel before the birthday party, she picked up flowers and practiced the speech she'd give Santana when she saw her. There would be no running through the door and telling her she wanted her by shoving her tongue down her throat. This time, she would do it right. She'd tell her how much she'd missed her, how much her life has changed since they met and how much she wanted to have that life they'd talked about in bed. She'd tell her she could do long-distance and that things had changed with her family. She could start thinking about the future she wanted and that was a future with Santana.

She arrived at the apartment and parked her truck. She grabbed the flowers resting on the seat next to her and looked up at the building to try to find the numbers in order to locate Santana's unit. It was then that she saw a very happy Santana walking out of the building, arms linked with a girl she didn't recognize. They were both laughing and seemed to be enjoying the other's company. They climbed into an SUV and Quinn ducked in her truck as they drove past.

This event took place about a week before Santana returned to Jasper to visit her dad and go to Evan's party. Quinn had returned from her trek to Indianapolis a broken woman with wilted flowers and once again retreated into her bedroom. Finn stopped by to check on her since she hadn't gone into the store that day as scheduled. She knew that she'd lost Santana for good after seeing her with someone else and looking so happy. She was back where she started. Finn was her only option. When he got to the cabin, she thought about sending him away, but he sincerely wanted to make sure she was okay. They sat on the couch and he put his arm around her. When he later leaned in to kiss her gently on the lips, she felt the sting of pain in her heart that this kiss wasn't from Santana, but she continued it anyway and took it to the bedroom. She had regrettable sex with Finn and even though she told Santana and Finn both that she it was just sex like the others times they'd done the friends with benefits thing, she knew in her heart that that was at least in part a lie. She thought he was her only option again and decided to act on it. After he left, she showered twice feeling like she couldn't get the dirty feeling of shame off her body.

She told herself she was done with Finn in that way and that no matter how lonely or depressed she got, she had to stop going backwards. She still couldn't believe that Santana could have moved on so quickly without her though. It just didn't make sense, but seeing her with someone else made her sick to her stomach and she couldn't process trying to reach out to her or anyone else that knew her to find out the details. She stayed in a zombie state, only going to work when she had to and then returning home until she was at work one day and Evan stopped in.

"Hey," He greeted and approached.

"Oh, hi." She was less that enthused to see someone who would always remind her of Santana.

"I'm having a party. Well, Puck's throwing it, but it's for me. I'm leaving for Chicago. Brittany's leaving with me. So, if you want to stop by, I think it would be cool."

"Thanks, but I don't think that would be a good idea." That house was the last place she wanted to be. The last time she'd been there was to leave a note on Santana's bed thinking she'd return to read it and all would be well. She'd had her sister take care of that property since the break-up.

"She's coming back tonight, Quinn."

Quinn's eyes got big as he said that.

"What?"

"She's coming back for the party. Rachel is driving her down. She just texted to confirm they're on their way."

"She's coming back to Jasper?"

"Yeah, but I don't know how long she's staying. Probably just a night or two."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you two are being stupid. I know people think I'm stupid sometimes, but you two are just dumb. You love each other, but you're not even talking. She's miserable without you and I can tell you're miserable without her."

"What are you even talking about? She seemed fine when I went to Indy to try to get her back and she was walking out of the apartment all smiles with a girl on her arm. Seems like she's getting along just fine without me."

"What? When was this?"

She walked through the entirety of her grand romantic gesture plan and how she saw Santana leave the apartment and she ran home with flowers in hand defeated.

"Wait. Did that girl have long, brown hair and wear glasses?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That was her cousin. On her dad's side. She was in town for a few days. Santana's not seeing anyone. She hasn't even thought about it since you guys broke up. God, you two just need to have an actual conversation with one another. I swear, Brittany and I never have these problems." He paused and looked at her again. "Look, she'll be here is all I'm saying. If you still want her back, you should show and maybe do something about it. I'm not going to tell her I invited you or anything because if she knows and then you don't show up, it will devastate her, but do what you gotta do." And with that, he was gone.

Quinn's brain was going a million miles a minute. She was so stupid not to talk to Santana when she was in Indy. She should have had the courage to approach her and ask who the girl was. They could have worked things out and had this time together. She let her stupid fear and pride get in the way again. She left the store and went home to try to find something to wear for the party and just as she got out of the shower, her phone rang.

"Mom, is dad okay?" It was her go to greeting whenever her mom called these days.

"What? Yeas, he's fine. Stop worrying. Honey, you should have told us Santana was coming to town."

"What?" She hesitated before realizing that as her girlfriend in her parent's eyes, she should have known that Santana was going to be here. "Oh yeah, sorry. Wait. How did you know she was in town?"

"She just stopped by. She wanted to check on your dad. Sweet girl. I invited her to a Saturday dinner."

Quinn hung her head low feeling terrible for lying to her parents this whole time.

"What did she say?"

"Well, she said she wasn't staying in town too long."

"Oh." Apparently, Santana hadn't mentioned to her parents that they were no longer a couple. "Look mom, I've got to go. I'm meeting her at Evan's party and I still have to finish getting ready." She lied and gulped at the idea of seeing Santana again.

The summer was now over and Quinn was supposed to be starting her first full semester in online school by taking another business class that Mr. Clemmons agreed to pay for. She had enrolled and gotten her books and knew that Mr. Clemmons wasn't really paying for the class because he thought it would help the bookstore. He knew Beth had really taken over that job for her. He was just a kind old man who had money and no one to spend it on and he knew what Quinn's family had been through so he sent her an unsolicited tuition check for the fall semester. Quinn felt bad about taking his money when her heart wasn't really in school right now or rather it wasn't in an online program that required her to go to Warren for exams.

She withdrew and returned his money explaining that she was grateful, but couldn't focus on school right now. It was only after returning it and canceling her enrollment that she realized she really did want school. She just didn't want that school. She started looking up universities and asking them to send her information. It wasn't that she thought she'd actually go. It was more about the act of the just maybe getting something started.

"Quinn, I brought in your mail." Her mother greeted as she walked in the front door of Quinn's place and handed it to her daughter who was in the kitchen making coffee.

"Oh thanks. Do you want some coffee?"

"No, I had some at the diner earlier. What's this?" She asked still holding onto an envelope and showing it to Quinn.

"Oh, that's nothing. I just asked them to send me a course catalog."

"Honey, this is great. You're thinking about going to school again?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I've sent away for a few places. Most of them are close by in case something-"

"Lucy Quinn Fabray! That is enough!" Her mother's voice was raised.

"Okay, apparently I hit a nerve." She set the coffee pot down on the counter to give her mom her undivided attention.

"We are fine. We will be fine without you here. We love you and we know you want to make sure we're okay, but we will be. I've had about enough of you making excuses for not doing what you want to do with your life. We are on our feet again, things are looking up, but you insist on sticking around her and moping alone in a cabin."

"Mom, it's not that simple."

"What does Santana think about all this? Weren't you two supposed to be thinking about where you'd live together? Why don't we hear you talk about her anymore?"

"Mom, Santana and I broke up."

"What?" Her mother was shocked.

"It happened a while ago. I just couldn't tell you guys. I knew you'd worry and you had enough to worry about. I'm okay though, but we're not moving somewhere together."

"Honey, why didn't you tell us? You seem to think your dad and I will break with any sign of bad news, but we've gotten along fine with everything that's happened so far, haven't we? You should have told us."

"I know. I'm sorry, but it doesn't change the fact that it's over between us. She ended it. She said she wasn't ready."

"Quinn, do you want to spend the rest of your life in Jasper?"

"No."

"Do you want to go to a real university and then onto law school like you originally planned?"

"Yes, but-"

"Young lady, don't 'but' me."

"Sorry." Quinn hadn't been put in place by her mother since she was in high school.

Her mother walked over to stand next to her and put her hand over Quinn's.

"We love you, but we know you're not happy here and that hurts us, honey. The only thing in the world parents want for their kids besides for them to be safe is for them to be happy. I don't know about Santana. If she's not ready, then she's not ready, but I know that you _are_ ready to leave this place behind. I want visits, of course, as often as you can and we can come to see you, but you need to find the place you want to be and get there already, honey, because the world is moving on without you in it."

That night, Quinn thought a lot about what her mother said. The following morning, she borrowed the old computer at the store and completed a few applications. She didn't have a lot of hope getting in since it had been so long since she'd applied the last time, but she applied for the spring semester at a few local schools and a few far away ones as well.

It took several weeks, but she finally started getting responses. The three local schools had all accepted her, but for the fall semester instead of the spring. It was mid-October when she heard back from the school she really wanted and when she clicked on that e-mail to see what they had to say, she had no idea that one click of a mouse would change her life forever.

She arrived on BU's campus as a 24-year old freshman that had to live in a dorm and be an RA in order to afford school at all. Santana's aunt gave them a loan, but that loan was for medical expenses and to help the store improve and remodel. There wasn't anything left over for school and she could never ask for money from Santana's aunt now. Everything would have to be paid by student loans and work-study and an actual job once she got her schedule figured out. Being an RA meant her room and board was paid for, but it also meant she was living with and in charge of 18-year old freshman living on her floor and on their own for the first time. Her room was at least a single and had its own bathroom, which made it a little easier. It also made it easier that she was finally on her own and out of Jasper. There were daily calls to her parents that first week, but those were mostly because she was home sick and not because of her checking in on them. Her mother had made it abundantly clear that they would be fine without her. It was now time for her to figure out if she could be fine without them. That second week, classes started and she had to find her way around the city she'd only lived in for about 8 days. She figured out the train system pretty quickly and found a restaurant she liked on the way to class. She started her work-study job at one of the campus libraries and made time to review her syllabi, buy her supplies and advise her dorm girls. She also found the time to call Finn.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Finn."

"Quinn? It's been a while."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

"It's cool. I've been busy anyway."

"No, I mean I'm really sorry. Not just about not keeping in touch, but about what happened with us."

"Oh."

"I used you and I'm sorry. I was in a bad place and there's no excuse, but I just thought it was like it was before when we used to… That's not entirely true. I'm sorry. I think I knew what I was doing and that makes it worse. I'm just sorry. I screwed everything up."

"I get it. I just wish you would've told me that. Before Rachel, I thought you and I were going to try again. I also kind of wish you would have told me about Santana."

"I know. I'm sorry. We weren't together when you and I hooked up. Either time. I swear."

"No, not like that. I just mean you're my best friend, Quinn. Up until recently, we spent almost every moment of our lives together dating or just as friends and you didn't tell me. Did you think I'd like disown you or something?"

"I don't know. I didn't want to hurt you. I know people kept telling you we'd find a way to make it work one day and I thought you thought that too. I had planned to tell you, but then she and I broke up so it didn't matter and when she came back and we started back up again, you saw what happened."

"Do you think you'll work it out?"

"I think I have to accept that the timing was never there for us and move on. It hurts too much to think about the past." She paused. "I left Jasper finally. I'm in school. I'm starting this new part of my life. I think I'm almost even happy." She laughed lightly at that.

"What?" She heard Finn yell away from the phone. "Oh Quinn, I'm sorry. I have to cut this short. Rachel just got here and she's carrying a bunch of bags of groceries from some vegan store. She's trying to get me to stop eating meat, I guess. I have to go help her out. I'm happy for you though. Can we talk again soon?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"Cool. Bye."

She shook her head a little and laughed and then decided she needed to get some sleep since she had 3 classes the following day and there was always a line at the coffee cart right outside her class building.

She woke early and gathered her things. She hopped on the red line train and took it to her stop before walking to the quad where she noticed the line wasn't extremely long today, which would give her time to think about her order. Would she get a cappuccino today or just a regular hazelnutcoffee? Non-fat or 2%? Scone or no scone? Is that Santana walking across the quad?

She did a double take. A girl who looked just like Santana was rushing into a building. She didn't even have time to yell her name before she was already inside. Still. She had to know.

"Can I get a large coffee with hazelnut? Actually, just give me 2." She ordered and gathered her coffee and her confidence before walking to the building and up the stairs. She took a hopeful second to catch her breath before setting the coffee on chair next to the door and removing her coat since it now seemed suddenly very hot to her. She hung her coat over her bag and picked the coffee cups back up. A guy noticed she needed the door opened for her since her hands were full. She looked forward and her heart that was already pumping quickly, sped up even faster until she felt she couldn't bare it anymore.

She walked slowly toward the front of the room hoping Santana wouldn't look up before she could reveal herself and when she was only a few feet away, "I saw you walk in without coffee and I know how much you love your coffee," Quinn explained as she clutched her cup in her other hand and adjusted her messenger bag with her free one.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29:

Santana was dumbfounded by the girl standing in front of her. Quinn had cut her hair a little shorter and layered it. It was also a little darker with some added low lights. She was wearing a V-neck shirt. She had boots over her skinny jeans and her coat was hanging against her body and was being held there by the strap of her bag.

"What are you doing here?" Santana asked her not sure if she was a hallucination or a mirage maybe.

"I go here."

"You go here?"

"Yeah, I applied to BU after you left. I originally got in for the fall, but they had an opening and said I could start this spring instead. I was going to apply to Harvard again, but there was something about Boston that just called my name over Cambridge. I moved here a couple of weeks ago."

Santana smiled as she looked back down at the papers in her hands. She was clutching them tightly. She could smell the coffee now and its scent was of hazelnut. Quinn took a step toward her and put her hand over Santana's getting her to release the tension that was wrinkling the paper. Santana looked back up at her.

"Are you in this class?"

"No, I kind of wish I was now though. I know what a great teacher you are. I was just on the quad outside and I saw this beautiful woman rush by. Something told me to bring her hazelnut coffee."

Santana heard a student clear their throat and looked around. Almost everyone was seated and the clock told her it was past time to start class.

"I have to…"

"I know. I have a class to get to anyway. Boston University has a beautiful campus though. I think I've finally figured out my way around. Any chance I could convince you to walk around it with me later?"

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Quinn started to walk backwards toward the door.

"I'll meet you here after my class?"

"Okay."

Quinn smiled and turned. She left the room with the door swinging behind her. Santana smiled throughout her entire first class. She wasn't even sure what she taught them and was convinced that several of her new students probably thought she was a ditz, but none of that seemed to matter.

She waited for all the students to file out of the room before gathering herself and throwing on her coat. She felt like her first class was a terrible one. There was no way she could focus on architecture or even a syllabus when she knew Quinn was somewhere on campus. Her heart never stopped pounding so hard she could feel it reverberating everywhere in her body and the words on the page of that syllabus appeared to be in a different language. She took several deep breaths and tried to calm herself before finally leaving the room.

It was still winter in Boston, but it was a warm day for January, which was good because they were planning to walk around campus. Quinn was already standing outside the building when Santana arrived holding out another cup for her to take.

"I have a confession to make." Quinn started.

"Okay." Santana was concerned.

"I left my class early so I wouldn't be late and that's not coffee. It's hot chocolate. It's kind of cold out here and I wanted to get you coffee, but that's a lot of caffeine and you on a lot of caffeine is a recipe for disaster so I went with this instead."

"Recipe for disaster?"

"Remember when we sat at the diner for hours? You helped me study for my final and Blaine kept giving you refills. Six cups in, you were talking in Spanish so fast that Kurt had to punch you in the shoulder just to get you to stop. You kept saying 'no me gusta' over and over at everything." Quinn recalled and was happy that she was able to what she had been jealous of Evan about months ago. She had memories and inside jokes she and Santana shared.

"Kurt kept trying to get me to try on those scarfs he knitted so yeah, no me gusta applied and six cups would do that to any Latina, but _this_ is great."

They exchanged smiles before turning to walk through the quad. Students and teachers were all headed to and from their classes in a hurried fashion trying to get out of the cold while Quinn and Santana slowly walked sipping hot chocolate and filling each other in on their months apart. Quinn, it turned out, decided to major in business before going to law school.

"My plan is to stay at BU and get my degree here and then go to Harvard Law if they let me in."

"That's great, Quinn. Does Finn know you're here? He's still with Rachel. I don't know why I didn't know you were in Boston."

"He moved before I did. We sort of stopped talking after you left. I blamed him for what happened, which was stupid since it was my fault. I called him yesterday actually. We got interrupted though so I don't know what Rachel knows. I didn't know you were here. We didn't really get a chance to go into detail about you before we got cut off so I just assumed you were still living in Indy. I can't believe you're actually here."

"For a while now. I took a job at a firm part-time, I'm a teaching assistant here, which you know already and I'm also now a graduate student."

"Wait. You're back in school?"

"Yeah, I needed the degree if I wanted to be a professor someday. If my parents could see me now… I always wanted architecture, but I never really liked school. Good at it, but not a fan."

"I can see that. You teaching architecture full-time, having papers published, advising students on their careers."

"Well, that's all years down the road." They had walked and talked their way off campus nearing the subway stop Santana normally took to get to work. "This is me. I have to go to work now. Client meeting in an hour."

"Oh. I guess I should head back. I have another class in about a half an hour anyway."

"Do you maybe want to-" Santana started.

"Yes."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"It doesn't matter. The answer is yes."

"I don't get it. Why aren't you mad at me? I got so upset at you for being with him when I was the one who ended it and you had every right to sleep with whoever you wanted. I blew up at you and ran away."

Quinn tossed her now empty cup into the trashcan next to the station entrance.

"Because you were right. Not just about Finn. I mean, I shouldn't have slept with him whether you and I were together or not, but we were both in bad places when we met and while I don't regret anything about being with you, I get that it wasn't the best time. I needed to grow up and move past thinking my family needs me for everything and you were still dealing with your parents."

"And now?"

"Now, we're both in the same place and not just for the summer. I've finally started living my life and it looks like you're doing the same. I can never be mad for what happened because what happened got me here. It got us here. So, my answer to whatever you're going to ask is yes."

"Will you have dinner with me tonight?"

"Yes."

Santana smiled and chuckled lightly about asking her former girlfriend and the love of her life to have a dinner date.

"I'll pick you up at seven. Can you text me your address?"

Quinn took a step forward and put her arms around Santana's neck.

"I can do that, but I'd rather not wait until the end of the date to do this." She leaned in and their cold noses touched first before their lips finally met. It was awkward in the beginning. They'd been apart for a while and needed to remember their rhythm. Once Santana's arms went around Quinn's waist and pulled her even closer, they were back in sync and after a few moments, the kiss ended naturally with them both smiling against linked foreheads.

"I can't believe you're here. I've missed you." Santana whispered.

"I've missed you too."

"I want to do more of this later, but I really do have to go. If I don't catch the next train, I'll be late."

"Go. I'll text you."

Santana turned to walk away with a smile and Quinn watched her as she turned back around.

"Can this actually work? You and me? Here? We can do this. Get it right this time?"

Quinn turned her head at a slight angle as if she had to do that to take in what Santana was asking her.

"Yes. San, I'm ready now. I'm ready for you."

Santana smiled at that before turning to walk down the stairs toward the train. Her lips tingled still from the kiss, her hands felt warm from the embrace they shared, her heart continued to jump while she stood near the edge of a yellow line waiting for her train to arrive. Her pocket buzzed and she pulled her phone from it.

Quinn had texted her address along with a message, "I never stopped loving you." Santana smiled and typed her reply before hitting send. "I hope you never do."

The train arrived and Santana hopped on and found a seat. On the way to work, she stared down at her phone and scrolled through all the pictures she had saved of her time in Jasper, her time with Quinn. She looked through pictures of her parents and photos of her friends. There were a couple of Rachel and Finn and some of Sam and Brittany. Tina and Mike popped up in a few and there was even one of Tina and Santana smiling and putting their past behind them. She smiled as she thought about the past year and how much she'd been through.

She made it to work just in time for her meeting and basically sat in silence as others did most of the presentation. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Quinn was here, in Boston. She laughed out loud at how they had managed to end up at the same place at the same time, both finally ready to give this a real shot after truly examining their lives and making necessary changes. This date could not come fast enough, but as the time wore on, she got more and more nervous. How do you date someone so old and so new to you at the same time? Do they fall right back into how it was or will there be an adjustment period?

These were the thoughts that entered her brain when Quinn opened her dorm room door just as two girls in towels walked past Santana headed back to their rooms after their showers.

"Okay, I know we're not technically exclusive right now, but I really don't think you should be checking out other girls right in front of me." Quinn told her when she first opened the door and noticed Santana looking at the girls who had just entered their room. She smiled and Santana released the nervous breath she was holding.

"They're freshman. I don't date freshman." Santana told her.

"Hey, I'm a freshman." Quinn squinted.

"You don't say…" Santana joked with her.

"Come on in. You want the tour?"

"Um… sure." Santana was ushered in through the door, which was then closed behind her.

"This is it." Quinn motioned with her arm around the small space and to the bathroom door, which was opened.

"What is it with you and one roomed spaces, Q?" Santana mocked while taking a look around Quinn's orderly home. She noticed something on Quinn's desk and made her way over to it. Quinn followed close behind.

"It's from that day we spent at the cabin. When we-"

"…played Boggle and you handed me my ass. I remember." Santana turned away from the framed picture of the two of them on Quinn's old sofa and looked at her former girlfriend and smiled. "I have one of us too. It's next to my bed."

"Yeah?" Quinn was a little surprised, but tried not to act that way.

"Yeah. I didn't for a while. It was too hard to look at after what happened, but one day I just realized that even though there were bad parts, there were a lot of good parts too and I liked having a reminder of those nearby."

"Me too."

They stared at each other for a moment not really knowing what to do.

"So, I made reservations at this place downtown if you want. It's kind of fancy, but I thought it could be fun." She looked at Quinn's fifties style dress that was a light yellow and it reminded her of summer, which made her smile. She had worried about making reservations at a four-star restaurant without first talking to Quinn about it since she normally wore jeans and t-shirts with either flip-flops or tennis shoes, but this new version of Quinn apparently decided to branch out with her wardrobe. "You look amazing." She told her and could see Quinn blush a little. "Or we could go somewhere else… anywhere else. I just… anywhere is fine. I just want to be anywhere with you." She knew she was embarrassing herself and Quinn smiled at her knowing she was just as nervous.

"Well, I'd offer to just cook for you here, but we're not allowed hot plates and the communal kitchen is occupied by a bunch of girls baking cookies."

"I could cook for you," Santana offered before following it up with, "I have a kitchen."

"At your place?" Quinn gulped.

"No, in my purse." Santana's sarcasm caused Quinn to laugh and Santana smiled and realized how much she missed that sound. "Let me cook for you tonight. Italian maybe? I know how much you like it. We can just relax and talk."

"Talk?" Quinn wiggled her eyebrows.

"Yes, talk. You know I don't put out on the first date. Well, re-do first date technically."

"Please, you totally put out on our last first date, Lopez."

"Alright, relax Fabray. I know you want all up on this, but a girl needs to be wooed first."

Quinn laughed before reaching for her purse on her bed.

"Oh, I'll woo you alright." She joked and started walking toward the door. "I'll woo you until you can't think straight." She paused and looked back. "No pun intended on that one."

"I've never been able to think straight around you. You've always had that effect on me." She stated and knew Quinn understood she was not referring to the straight factor, but the way Quinn made it difficult to process thought just by being in the same room with her.

They took a cab back to Santana's instead of the train because Santana couldn't wait the 5 stops between Quinn's dorm and her house. As they sat in the yellow car with the city zooming by, there were several moments when each of them almost said something, but didn't. It was like they didn't know how to start a conversation about their time apart. When they finally pulled up after what felt like forever, Santana paid the driver and slid out of the car. Quinn got out on that same side and looked up at the house in front of her.

"You live here?" She asked.

"Yeah, I got a good price on it. Three bedroom, two and a half bath. Nothing really fancy, but it was remodeled right before I bought it so it's got all new fixtures and they added a den, which I use as an office and-"

"Santana, it's freezing out here. Take me inside. I'd like to actually see it." Quinn ordered as she wrapped her arms around her body.

They walked inside and Santana took Quinn's coat and hung it up after hanging up her own in the hall closet. Quinn took a look around. The living room was to the right and had some of Santana's parent's furniture with a mix of stuff she'd bought herself. She could make out a dining room after that and assumed the kitchen was around that corner behind the staircase that was right in front of her.

"It's not done yet. I still have some changes I want to make." Santana filled the silence as they just stood there.

"This is it, isn't it?" Quinn asked and then looked at her hopefully. Santana wasn't understanding her so Quinn clarified. "This is _the_ house."

Santana understood then what she meant.

"Yeah, this is the house we talked about."

"You did it? You actually made it happen?" Quinn smiled and looked around again before she felt Santana take her hand.

"It's not done, but I meant what I said before. This was what I wanted and I wanted you to share it with me. I wasn't sure that part was going to happen, but you're here now."

Quinn wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and drew her in. She placed a soft kiss on her nose before leaning all the way in to capture her lips. Santana's arms went around Quinn's waist and she reveled in the way it felt to kiss Quinn in this city in this house after she gave up on that ever happening. They pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes.

"I'm still not putting out tonight, Q." Santana walked off with Quinn laughing and following behind. "Come on. I'll give you a real tour."

By the time they made it up the stairs and to the first of the three bedrooms, they'd already had a glass of wine, were working on their second and kissed a few more times. Santana leaned against the door jam with Quinn's head resting on her shoulder as she pointed out the guest room that currently had no furniture in it.

"I can't decide what to do with this one. I don't really need another guest room, but I don't like it just being empty either."

"Sex cave?" Quinn joked before taking another drink of her wine and causing a huge laugh in Santana. "What? Soundproof it and lock it. No one will ever know."

"Oh my God, you are cut off, woman. You're such a lightweight."

She laughed again and Quinn laughed too before gulping silently and looking at the empty space again.

"Maybe it can be a nursery one day." She remarked as if that was a throw away comment and walked toward the next room.

Santana looked down at the floor momentarily before laughing to herself at this girl she loved. As she watched Quinn walk to the door of her bedroom, she knew that one day soon that would be their bedroom and one day after that this room would be a nursery. The ups and the downs of their past entered her mind, but they were quickly pushed away because it wasn't the past she wanted to focus on… it was the future. The future she knew she'd be sharing with Quinn. The future full of promise…

The End


	30. Epilogue

If you've read my other two stories, you know I both like and dislike epilogues. I usually write them though because you can choose whether or not you want to read it. This is my view on these two in the near future.

And thank you again for reading. I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Until next time…

Epilogue:

Quinn woke up first and made coffee as she always did. She set the steaming cup next to her sleeping girlfriend and propped a certain envelope in front of it. She kissed her on the forehead and headed out for class. Santana woke up when she heard the front door close. She smelled the coffee and smiled before she noticed the envelope in front of her cup. On the envelope, she noticed a post-it note. She picked it up and read Quinn's handwriting. _I bet you thought I forgot about this. I don't want to push you, but I love you and I don't want you to live in limbo. We're moving forward, remember. Call you later. Love, Q._

Santana stood and took the post-it note and pressed it to the mirror hanging over the dresser next to a few other post-its with similar messages. She placed the envelope on the dresser and moved to the bathroom to get ready for work.

Her morning was spent reviewing plans for her boss. Her lunch was spent eating a sandwich on the go as she made her way back to campus for her meeting with an advisor for her grad program. Her dinner was spent looking over lecture notes for her next class as a TA. All day was spent thinking about Quinn. They'd been together for six months and Santana had never been happier. After the semester of Quinn living in a dorm as an RA, Santana insisted she move into the house she'd bought on Beacon Hill. Money well spent because the home was the picture she had created in her mind when she first started thinking about her life with Quinn. Quinn recognized that the first time she saw it and fell in love with it. They'd spent the past six months making it more and more their home instead of just Santana's. That included painting the extra guest room a light shade of green and filling it with what they called temporary furniture. They both knew that when Santana was out of grad school, they'd start thinking about kids and didn't want to spend a lot of unnecessary money on furniture that would be replaced. So, a trip to IKEA was involved and they painted the room together as their first house project as a couple and it was considered a success.

After Quinn's time as RA was up, she packed her stuff and officially moved in. Santana tried to get her to quit the RA gig by practically bugging her about it everyday. She tried to explain that she didn't have to do it. They had plenty of money. Santana could pay for school. The scholarship was unnecessary, but Quinn didn't bite. Once the semester was up though, she gave up the fight.

"Quinn, can we do something?" Santana asked her while they were sitting on the couch watching the news in the background while Quinn was reading a book and Santana was writing a paper for a summer session she was taking on Russian architecture post Revolution. She set her laptop on the table and turned to look at her girlfriend.

"You done with your paper?" Quinn asked, closing her book and relaxing her head onto Santana's shoulder.

Santana pulled out the envelope with her name on it.

"I want you to open it with me."

Quinn crossed her legs underneath her and faced Santana.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay. I'm here for whatever you need."

Santana paused and stared at the envelope for several seconds before finally peeling back the top and sliding out a card. The front read, _To my daughter on her graduation, _and when she opened the inside, she found a check for $5,000, which she handed to Quinn to hold while she read the inside of her card to herself and laughed out loud.

"What?" Quinn asked after not being able to take the waiting any longer.

"It's just a graduation card. It says, 'Congratulations to my amazing daughter for following in her amazing father's footsteps. I can't wait to have you aboard, but I want you refreshed first. Take this money and go on a fabulous adventure somewhere exotic.'" She paused as her smile shifted to a more serious look. "'Your mother and I both love you so much and we can't wait to see what you do with your life.'" Her eyes welled up. "It's just a graduation card. I don't know what I thought it was… what I thought it would say."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good." She laughed. "He would compliment me so he could find a way to compliment himself. Sounds like something I would do too actually." She laughed again as one tear fell. Quinn moved to wipe it away for her. "Do you want to go on an exotic adventure?" She took the check back from Quinn and held it up even though it really had no value since those accounts were long closed and the money transferred over to her. She'd really be paying for their adventure herself.

"If that's what you want, then I'm in."

"Thank you for forcing me to read this even though I kept putting it off. Your weekly post-it notes finally grew to be too much for me to handle." She half-joked, but was really grateful Quinn had continued to push her to open the card she had found on her father's desk all those months ago.

"I think 'force' is a strong word, but you're welcome."

Quinn put her hand on Santana's thigh and dragged her fingers up and down. Santana followed it with her eyes.

"Let's go somewhere."

"Yeah? Where?" Quinn's fingers moved from Santana's thigh to her stomach as she moved Santana down and settled on top of her. "I'm thinking somewhere warm. Someplace where clothing is optional."

"Upstairs," Santana said as she put her hands around Quinn's neck.

"Upstairs isn't really exotic."

"No, take me to bed."

"Alright, we can talk about this tomorrow if you're tired."

Quinn pulled herself back.

"Q!" Santana demanded her attention. "Take me up to our room and do things to me." They'd both been so busy lately that hadn't had many opportunities to have sex, but Santana was more than ready to get Quinn naked. Quinn's eyes grew wide and her wicked smile emerged. Santana leaned in and kissed Quinn before moving herself and the other girl off the couch. "Also, I'm thinking somewhere like France or Greece."

"I'd need a passport."

"We'll get you a damn passport. We'll get you a damn plane if you want one."

Quinn laughed as she followed her up the stairs and into the bedroom where she immediately kissed her. She stopped and stood back taking in Santana's face. Santana put her hands on Quinn's belt buckle and undid it before unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans. Santana moved herself to the edge of the bed as Quinn kissed her and moved her hands to Santana's pants. She moved down Santana's body so she could remove them making Santana lift one leg and then the other to take them off all the way. She stayed on her knees for a moment and stared longingly. She kissed the inside of one of her thighs.

Quinn kissed her stomach and pulled her shirt up as she stood. It took only a few more movements before they were both naked and Quinn was on top of her. Quinn kissed her and their tongues met before Quinn drew hers' out and Santana's followed. They flicked each other for a moment before Quinn kissed her jaw.

"Together?"

"Mmmmmm," was all Santana could say.

Quinn moved her hand down Santana's body and felt the woman shudder beneath her. Santana's hand moved and met Quinn's between their bodies. Quinn took Santana's fingers and put them on her clit while she moved her own to cover Santana's.

"Jesus, I forgot how good that feels." Quinn moved her hips slowly into Santana's fingers as Santana moved in to kiss her. "It's been too long..."

"It's only been a few days… shit… we've been so busy…"

"A few days is a few days too long."

"Baby, I'm already half way there. I don't think… right there…I don't think I can wait…yes…this time."

"Inside, San. Go inside," Quinn requested.

Santana's fingers pushed themselves inside Quinn's body. Her thumb moved to her clit and moved back and forth. It took a moment for Quinn to remember they were doing this together before she started moving her fingers over Santana's entrance and using the force of her hips to push them in. It was awkward and not the best of angles, but Quinn was determined to make it work and within a few more thrusts, Santana was coming all over her fingers. Her body temporarily froze as it always did when Quinn hit her g-spot repeatedly. She quickly and acrobatically flipped Quinn over and pushed herself further into her causing Quinn to come a few moments later.

They fell asleep shortly after, but Santana woke up and rolled over to stare at the girl she loved. She brushed Quinn's hair out of her face and watched as she crinkled her nose in response. She considered for a moment that maybe her parents were watching over her and thought Quinn was meant for her and somehow made this all happen. Not just Jasper, but leading them both to Boston at the same time when they had both finally sorted through their own issues and were ready for this thing called love. She had no idea what the future had in store for them, but she knew they'd be able to get through it together. Quinn had already moved in and they'd take that vacation they talked about. She'd watch Rachel and Finn probably get married one day and she and Quinn would laugh about how all that turned out. Santana still wanted to punch Finn most of the times she looked at him, but that wasn't really because of him. It was because of what he represented… a time when Quinn wasn't in her life and a time when they were hurting each other because they were too afraid to really admit that they needed time to be ready. She'd watch Quinn graduate from law school and Quinn would watch her walk across the stage with her master's degree. They'd turn one or maybe even both of the guest rooms into nurseries and then kid's bedrooms. They'd get the dog or the cat or maybe both. Santana smiled and leaned in to kiss Quinn's nose.

"Go to sleep, San." Quinn ordered.

"I can't. You're so beautiful. I can't not look at you."

"Bonus points for that, but you wore me out, baby. I'm tired and I have to work tomorrow."

"Q, tell me you love me."

Quinn rolled over to her other side to face away from Santana.

"I love you. Now, sleep."

Santana laughed before wrapping her arm around Quinn's body and leaning into her.

"You know how you told me your dad fell in love with your mom fast?" She whispered into Quinn's ear.

"Yeah, why?"

"It only took me two minutes to fall in love with you." Santana recalled Quinn telling her about how her father said he'd fallen for her mother after only two minutes.

Quinn rolled back over to face her and Santana backed up a little.

"You're losing your bonus points, babe." Quinn told her.

"What? Why?"

"Why did it take you two minutes? Should've been there in two seconds. I mean, look at me. I'm hot."

Santana laughed and leaned in to kiss Quinn. She rolled on top of her and Quinn's arms went around her neck.

"I'm glad I read that card from my dad and I can finally put all that behind me."

"Me too."

"I loved you from the first moment I saw you."

Quinn squinted at her.

"Better."

"Alright diva, how fast did you fall for me?"

"The first moment I saw you."

"You stole my line."

"Yeah, but I still fell for you first."

"Are you trying to lawyer me right now? Argue a point or something?" Santana leaned in to kiss Quinn's collarbone. Quinn laughed and lowered her arms to Santana's hips.

"No, I mean I saw you first."

"No you didn't. I was staring at you for a full minute before your lazy ass finally looked up."

"I saw you when you first pulled up. I was in the shed in the side yard. Your aunt was talking to you. I couldn't take my eyes off of you. You weren't like anyone I'd ever seen before."

"Well yeah, I'm brown."

Quinn laughed again.

"You were beautiful. I'd thought about girls before. You know that. Even the one Finn had a crush on, but it wasn't until I saw you that I really felt it for the first time. That draw to a person for seemingly no reason. That's when I fell for you."

"You've never told me that before."

"A girl's entitled to her secrets."

"Yeah, well let's not have too many of those around here. Secrets, secrets are no fun and all that."

"Secrets from other people, but not each other. Deal?"

"Deal?"

"Good. Now, sleep, Santana. I'm exhausted."

Santana smiled and rolled off of her. She snuggled into her side instead.

"I guess we have the rest of our lives for talks like this." For a moment, her eyes snapped open and she recalled the last time they had been in bed talking about the future. Quinn had walked off without a word. Santana smiled and closed her eyes again knowing that this time Quinn wasn't going anywhere. She was right. Quinn wrapped her arm around her and squeezed while kissing her lightly on the forehead.

"I like the sound of that." Quinn told her before closing her eyes.

Santana smiled again confident that they were no longer just talking about the future, they were living it. Together.


End file.
